Ruby Quartz
by Optic Red
Summary: Rating- PG-13 (R for one chapter) Pairings: Scott and Jean. Post-Dark Horizons. Scott and Jean face a trial by fire as new enemies emerge and face new challenges to their relationship. Reworking.
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

Disclaimer: Standard stuff. Don't own nothing, anyone – just the story

Pairings: Scott/Jean 

Summary: Focuses on Scott Summers (and Jean Grey) one year into the future (in which they'll be 19). The fight against Apocalypse continues. For the record, I don't know anything about Apocalypse besides his name and that he's ultra-powerful, and this is my first fic; ever. BTW, there are SPOILERS for Dark Horizons, the Season 3 finale.

Optic Evolution 

_One year into the future, somewhere on the psychic plane…..._

            He ran. Scott Summers ran and ran until his lungs felt they were about to burst. Something was chasing him, a darkness unlike the likes he's ever seen before. He turned around and shot a more than normally juiced-up optic blast at the growing shadow. It laughed – a high-pitched, utterly evil cackle that echoed in his mind.

            Blasting a large boulder that was in his path, Cyclops reached what seemed to be an ancient city. The sight struck the young mutant – hard. Everything was destroyed; the paths broken and charred, the tallest buildings levelled. Bodies of soldiers, women and children lay scattered here and there, floating in their own blood. He felt sick.

~ How did he get here, this nightmare ~ Scott wondered as he meandered around the devastated city. Bits and pieces of the past began to flash in his mind.…

_ I can't risk it.... entity of flames ....divine power....she must be destroyed, before she reaches her full potential ....Master, what ....I will deal with her myself_.... Then, he remembered throwing himself before Apocalypse before he entered her mind and erasing her being from existence…. then darkness.

His thoughts were interrupted when the shadows around him shifted form and materialized in front of him as a large, muscular man, glowing with psionic energy. Clad in clothes that wouldn't look out of place in the movie the Mummy, En-Saba-Nur stood in front of him, armed with a fancy scimitar. 

"Welcome to Akkaba, my birthplace," the super mutant stated simply, with an air of superiority. "Five thousand years ago, a huge battle was fought between my people and the army of the Pharaoh. Although I easily defeated the meagre beings, my people were almost completely wiped out. I then began my conquest of Egypt, and mastered the use The Eye, a divine instrument used by the Pharaoh. However, my attempt to evolve humans into mutants were delayed by my 'loyal servants,'" he sneered. "Well, enough idle chit-chat. The time has come for you and any other obstacles to meet your doom!" At that, he lunged forward at Quicksilver speed towards Scott. The battle was on.

"I beg to differ," Scott retorted. Being the tactical expert that he is, Scott knew that he didn't stand much of a chance, if any, in fighting his opponent directly. As the shining scimitar swung towards him, Cyclops leapt sideways. The blade missed him, but barely. As a result of his dodge, Scott rolled into a column, decorated with Corinthian leaves (what's left of it, anyway). He blasts his opponent at full power (visor on) – it stops his enemy in his tracks. However, Apocalypse erects a TK-shield, and plows through the beam of red as if nothing was there, sword up and ready to strike. Scott ducks and rolls away, but couldn't help noticing that the scimitar cut the hard stone cleanly in half. ~ Must be made of adamentium or something ~ he thought.

The fight continues at a breakneck pace, with the X-man dodging, rolling and weaving between various structures while Apocalypse gives chase, destroying everything in his path. Although Cyclops managed to get in a shot here or there, his optic blasts don't seem to be affecting the supermutant at all. Not for the first time, Scott was thankful for his extra hours in the Danger Room training, giving him much more battle experience than he would otherwise. Hiding behind a half-collapsed wall, Scott was given a momentary reprieve from the fighting. His thoughts idly strayed towards a certain red-head. "Jean,' he whispered to himself, 'God, I hope you're alright." His mind recoiled as he was flooded with memories again, recalling her screams and whimpers as she attempted to defend against Apocalypse's psychic assault. 

~Boy, I was never that pissed off and terrified in my life ~ he thought to himself. 

Suddenly, he was thrown face first into the building in front of him, as the wall he was hiding behind crumbled into thousands of pieces. Looking behind him, he caught sight of his enemy in the centre of a huge telekinetic hurricane (much like the one in Power Surge). "Enough games," his voice boomed, "I've wasted far too much time on a pitiful human such as yourself." Seizing him in an aura of telekinetic energy, Scott was pulled through the mass of flying debris, into the waiting hands – and shining scimitar – of Apocalypse.


	2. Chapter 2

Under Construction...Come back later

Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah

Sorry, must include some words...

:) 


	3. Chapter 3

Note: ~ means thoughts, while // means a telepathic message.

**_Chapter 3_**

            Angel (aka Warren) decided to become a temporary member of the X-men when news of the emergence of Apocalypse began to spread. Being one of the older members of the team, he quickly ascended the amount of influence and authority he exerted over the team, especially after the strange disappearance of their leader, Scott Summers. ~It was so strange,~ he thought ~ he just disappeared.~ To make up for the loss, Storm and Wolverine have since taken up the position as the field commanders of the X-men. 

            Although he always knew that Jean Grey and Summers had a thing for each other, he couldn't help but be attracted to the red-headed telepath. He knew Scott better than he knew Jean, having fought alongside him against the likes of Magneto and Mesmero. Cyclops, like his codename, saw the world in a single vision – good guys win, evil loses. The kid was a born leader, and Angel was sure that every one of the X-men, and probably most of the Brotherhood and Acolytes, would follow him into the fiery pits of hell if he said that he needed them. 

            Subconsciously, Warren looked down at Jean. There was no doubt that she was beautiful, with her face lit up by the setting sun and her hair swaying lightly in the evening breeze. No, he thought, I want Jean. Being raised in a rich family, Warren Worthington III was used to getting what he wanted. And he wasn't going to let her feelings for a dead guy (or his friendship to him) stop him from getting her.

Feeling his gaze upon her, Jean backed up and found herself lost in the glare of deep blue eyes. She knew that he was somewhat attracted to her, although her feelings toward him at the moment were confused. Part of her was still devastated by the loss of Scott, while the other was pushing herself to move on. "Warren," she stammered, as their faces drifted closer together, lips inches apart and closing.

They were suddenly interrupted by a telepathic broadcast by Prof. Xavier //X-men, I need you to all report to the Planning Room immediately.\\ Jean realized where she was and abruptly pulled back and walked briskly into the mansion. Inwardly cursing the bad timing, Angel too rose up to leave.

***************************************************************

            Jean Grey found herself navigating in the maze of students, corridors and elevators as she made her way to the sub-basement floors of the mansion to the Planning Room. Along the way, she met up with Kitty Pryde, whose codename was Shadowcat. After a minute of awkward silence, Kitty spoke up, "So, like, how are things between you and Warren? You two seem to spend a lot of time together."

            Sighing deeply, Jean replied, "Nothing's really going on. We're just friends."

            "You do know that he's been, like, totally gushing over you ever since he joined the X-men."

            Jean didn't reply, instead opting to change the subject. "What do you think of Magneto's team. Think we can trust 'em?"

"Personally, I don't think they're that bad. I've been talking to Piotr, he actually seems kind of nice."

As they entered the Planning Room, everyone else was already there except for Angel, awaiting the mission briefing. As she took a seat, she caught sight of Warren finally arriving in the room and joining the rest of the team.

            As Xavier wheeled to the front of the room, flanked by Magneto and Storm, he cleared his throat. "Using Cerebro, we have finally tracked a very powerful mutant signature residing in the Pyramids of Gaza," he paused for effect, but then seemed unable to continue. Cutting to the chase, Storm declared, "We may have very well found Apocalypse."

            A chorus of gasps and whispers broke out among the respective members of the X-men, Brotherhood, and Acolytes. They haven't seen or heard of Apocalypse since that battle several months ago, which took.... Scott. Despite her surprise, Jean felt herself studying the reaction of her teammates as their emotions flooded her mind telepathically. Prof. Xavier took the loss of Scott the hardest. Scott was the surrogate son he never had, and has watched and raised the kid ever since he picked up a terrified child in the hospital seven years ago when his powers manifested. Logan's expression remained neutral, although Jean felt something...perhaps a sense of failure and helplessness. The little red-eyed kid was as close to a little brother he ever had had, albeit a very stubborn brother. Kurt lost his best friend, Rogue lost the first and only person who truly understood her uncontrollable power, Kitty and Bobby lost an older brother. Perhaps even more devastating was the fact that the 'good' guys, the team of X-men, Brotherhood and Acolytes, lost their leader.

            "We will be leaving immediately," Magneto continued," Our goal is to destroy Apocalypse. During this mission, we will be taking a few members of the Brotherhood with us, as we could use some heavy-hitters. We've agreed to take only the most experienced members of the team." There was an echo of groans and protests from the New Recruits.

"But we deserve to go. The guy killed Scott!" Amara objected.

"Man, Bobby always get the action" Ray complained.

            Ignoring the whining students, the chosen mutants made their way to the Blackbird (or metal orbs). En-route to Africa, the teams were divided into two groups: Alpha (Wolverine, Storm, Nightcrawler, Rogue, Jean Grey, Iceman, Angel, and Avalanche) and Bravo (Magneto, Sabertooth, Gambit, Pyro, Colossus, Quicksilver, Blob and Shadowcat), with Beast and Prof. X supporting from the X-jet. Touching down on the desert sand Team Alpha and Bravo made their way to their destination. Phasing through the sand and activating a lever, Shadowcat opened the entrance to the large structure of the Sphinx. Traveling down a narrow corridor as it lead our heroes deeper into the darkness, the path split in two, causing them to split up to cover more ground. The search was on.

***************************************************************

            They've been searching for two hours now, and not a trace of Apocalypse could be found. ~Maybe Cerebro was mistaken. There doesn't seem to be anything here~ Jean thought. She was sure that with Logan's heightened senses and her telepathy, they should've found (or at least sense) him by now. She looked around. The others seem to be growing wary of their search as well. 

//Jean!\\ The Professor alerted her. //Team Bravo is under attack! You've got to make your way to them\\

//We're on our way\\

            Searching through the maze of walls, Jean managed to locate the psychic patterns of a few of the others as they desperately fought off their attackers. "Logan, the others are about 40 metres that way!" she pointed. 

"I've got it covered Red! Time to rock this place!"                  

Lance's eyes rolled upwards and his hands balled up into fists as he sent a wave of seismic energy through the ground. As the floor arched upwards into a wave, the walls between them and the battle crumbled, giving them a clear path. Running at top speed, they reached the other side and jumped into combat. Jean didn't move a muscle; she was almost petrified.

            The others were holding their own! In fact, if it weren't for the two or three robots of Egyptian gods helping out Apocalypse, they could be considered winning. Apocalypse himself seemed different. His actions were slower and his face contorted, as if he was having a headache. However, the strangest thing to Jean Grey as she stood there was the fact that something, in the back of her mind, began to stir.  

~No, it can't be ...~

"Jean, vatch out!"

            Jean turned around and saw the wall crumbling, threatening to bury her in debris. With a wave of her hand, she pushed the falling rocks backward, away from her. As she turned back to the battle, she saw Apocalypse only a few feet away. Covering the distance in one stride, he swung his scimitar at her neck. The telepath knew she was done for. There was nothing to stop him from decapitating her head. Frozen solid in fear, she watched as the shining silver blade swung towards her for the final blow. 

~There's no turning back now. This is it~

The blow never came.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 

            As Scott Summers was being pulled through the telekinetic whirlwind, he felt himself losing control of his mind, his physical self. Being still somewhat connected to the outside world, he figured that Apocalypse was fighting the X-men at that very moment. His friends. He wasn't alone. That made all the difference.

            With renewed vigour, the leader of the X-men fought against the telekinetic hold he was encased in, and his right hand slowly made its way to his visor. He was only several feet away from Apocalypse now. ~_Faster_~ he thought. His opponent gripped his sword. ~Even _faster_!~ he urged his hand on, starting to panic. Apocalypse smirked and, with two hands on his scimitar, prepared to swing.

~Even _FASTER_!~

            His hand finally made it to his visor, and with what remaining strength he had left, he ripped it from his face. Instantly, a huge beam of red, raw, untamed power ripped through the air and struck Apocalypse in the chest, caught off guard, sending him soaring backwards. At full power, his optic blast has the concussive force equal to the detonation of ten tons of dynamite. Buildings, stone walls, statues and bits of debris were blown away in a cloud of dust as Cyclops continued to pour on the power, feeling himself gain control for the first time. 

***************************************************************

            The scimitar cut through the air, straight for Jean's neck, who unable to watch, closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable. After a few seconds, Jean noticed that she was still alive. Slowly opening her eyes, she saw Apocalypse standing right in front of her, face plastered in concentration. His shining scimitar had stopped less than half an inch from her neck. Studying the face of her opponent, she immediately noticed a few physical changes. His muscle mass was considerably reduced, to a more human level. He looked younger, and his face slimmer. His hair was brown, as opposed to black. Upon further inspection, she realized Apocalypse's physical form started to resemble Scott's. His eyes intrigued her the most. They were green – a deep forest green, much darker than her own. ~Scott told me his eyes were green once~ she thought. Then they began to glow red... 

            Instinctively, she stretched out her hand and slammed him into a wall, which fractured on impact. Suddenly, the tingling in her head hit the roof. It took a moment before Jean Grey finally figured out what it was. 

~It's our bond. Our psychic bond! Scott's s-still alive!~

The fight was on again, though the X-men were stunned at what they saw. Jean Grey should've been dead, but Apocalypse spared her. Why? All further thoughts were dispelled as the combined forces of the X-men, Brotherhood and Acolytes attacked. Instead of the swift dodging, blasting and slashing that they were used to seeing, their enemy just stood there, absorbing every single blow. Just as Wolverine was about to disembowel him, the Canadian was stopped in mid-air. However, this time, it was not from Apocalypse. It was Jean.

"Stop! That is not Apocalypse that we are fighting! You're going to kill Scott!" The others looked at her as if she grown a second head.

"Jean, vhat are you talking avhout?"

"Jean, like, how do you know?"

"Jeannie, release me now so I can rip this guy to shreds!"

"No! I sensed him! Through our bond!"

            Then, for the first time, 'Cyclopalypse' spoke. His voice was double echoed - it sounded like both him and Apocalypse talking at once. His eyes started to glow crimson, but the optic blast was held fast.  "Guys, kill me now while you still have the chance. I can't fight him any longer!"  With a turn of his head, an optic blast erupted from his eyes like a fire hose, taking out the last robot. Everyone stared at him in utter shock. After a moment of silence, Scott began to lose his patience, "That's an order!" He looked around him; nobody moved. Suddenly, a telepathic thought was relayed to the young mutant-

//No Scott. We are not leaving you behind this time. X-men, do not attack.\\ By this time, Xavier had caught on with what was going on, and after the initial shock, he seemed determined not to make the same perceived mistake again that he did last time. Everyone else was still dumbfounded.

"Yah, we didn't even know that yah were alive this whole time, and we sure as hell ain't gonna ditch ya," Rogue put bluntly, the first to speak up. She slowly staggered to her feet with Gambit's support. The others slowly rose up as well.

"Ja, ve X-men have to stick together," Kurt agreed.

"No matter what," Kitty added.

"I'm with half-pint on this one," Logan slowly elaborated.

"Should've know you can't keep a good X-men down," remarked Bobby, all iced-up.

            Firmly planting the scimitar on the ground, Scott looked at his friends in utter disbelief. Slowly backing up, one hand to his head, he turned to his old enemies. "Alvers! Dukes!" he shouted exasperatedly. 

"Forget it, Summers. You might be a jerk, but you're not even worth our time" 

            Anxiously, he turned to stare at each Acolyte with glowing, red eyes. They did nothing.

"No Scott, we are not leaving you. Not again. Not ever," Jean's voice left no room for argument.

"Jean, please....Ugggghhhhh!" Scott fell to his knees, clutching his head. 

            The others watched as Cyclops began to morph back into Apocalypse. The supermutant rose to his feet, and with a sinister smirk, charged at Logan, who didn't even have time to move before he was knocked backwards 30 feet. Turning on the others, his eyes glowed red and he fired an optic blast at Colossus, sending him sliding backwards on his back, rubbing his head. "You fools!" his voice boomed, "You should've killed me when you had the chance. Now I have him completely under my control!" As he lunged forward, the others assumed a battle stance, preparing to dodge his next attack.

//Scott, we know you're still there. Fight it! Come on, we know you can. We have faith in you.\\ Jean Grey, supported by the mental presence of the Professor, reached out to Cyclops via their telepathic link.

***************************************************************

The battle for his mind continued at a murderous pace. Cyclops continued to pour on the power, but Apocalypse had since put up a telekinetic shield, absorbing the brunt of the blast. Both of them knew that Scott wouldn't be able to last long – his beams were just too powerful and feral to control. Slowly, but surely, Scott felt his body growing weak. He fell on one knee, and his optic blast began to lose power, growing smaller in diameter. Apocalypse began to close the distance between them, his palm outstretched.

~No, I can't lose~

            Just as his hand was about to wrap itself around Scott's head, En Saba Nur felt himself being pulled back. "What is the meaning of this!" he exclaimed. Looking around, he spotted the telepathic presence of Jean Grey and Professor Xavier standing side-by-side. Scott was too weak to even notice. Concentrating with every ounce of their mental strength, the two telepaths begin to psychically remove En Saba Nur from Scott's mind. Apocalypse's shape began to deform radically. "Noooooo! Meddling fools!"

            Unable to sustain the strain of Cyclops' optic blast and the combined telepathic assault of Charles Xavier and Jean Grey, Apocalypse felt his shield shatter as the beam of red finally broke through. With one final, desperate effort, the three X-men pushed Apocalypse out of Scott's mind at last.

***************************************************************

            In a blinding flash of light, the body of Cyclopalypse fell to the ground. As their eyes adjusted to the darkness, the X-men caught sight of Apocalypse, knees and hands to the ground, shaking his head, with Scott Summers lying unconscious nearby. Seeing their chance, everyone with projectile powers (i.e. Bobby, Pyro, Gambit, Storm, Jean, Magneto, Avalanche) struck the supermutant at full power. Apocalypse was pushed backwards until he was forced into The Eye of Ages, which resided in the Sphinx, and was the source of Rama-Tut's, the Egyptian Pharaoh, power. Paralyzed in a barrier of electricity, Apocalypse only managed to shout out, "Foolish mortals," before Magneto encased him completely in the Eye, trapping him there once more until someone decides to release the awesome power of Apocalypse once again.  

            Running to the motionless body of their leader, Jean Grey ran to Scott and cradled his head in her arms. Brushing his hair from his face, she noticed that, physically, he was seemingly unaffected. Angel looked on with an annoyed expression. Warren Worthington III was not going to be second best to Scott Summers. Or anyone else. Furthermore, he always got whatever he wanted.

            Unknown to the X-men, a dark presence lurked among the shadows. Witnessing the defeat of his master, Dr. Nathaniel Essex quietly observed to himself, "He may have survived, but Apocalypse...." he chuckled to himself, "whatever he touches, he changes. The toughest part has yet to come, my young pawn." The crystal in his head glowed briefly before he disappeared. 


	5. Chapter 5

Under Construction...Come back later

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Sorry, must include some words...

:) 


	6. Chapter 6

**_Chapter 6_**

            Scott left the infirmary, in more pain than he had ever felt before. Jean's words echoed over and over in her head, ~ Maybe things _would_ be better if Scott wasn't here – if he never, you know....~ driving him to the point of insanity. He needed to get away, before everything overwhelmed him. He felt like crying, but he can't. Not only because of the fact that he was the leader, and thus had an image to maintain, but also because his eye beams vaporized any tears that escaped his eyes. ~Guess it was true what they say, that ignorance is bliss....~

Bamf!

Scott nearly jumped as he realized that he wasn't alone.

"Hey Scott, you okay?" Kurt Wagner asked his friend. "You know, after what happened in the Danger Room ...." 

Thankful that his eyes were hidden behind a wall of ruby-quartz, he smiled at his friend. "I'm fine - can we not talk about it right now?" he lied.

"Vell, if you ever need somevone to talk to, I'll be right here, alvight?" 

"Thanks dude"

Smiling, the furry blue mutant teleported away, leaving Scott alone with his thoughts once more.

             Ever since she enrolled into the Institute, Scott Summers had been enamoured with Jean Grey. His reaction when he first met her said it all - a 'Wow.' A single word that described just how special she was to him. Sure, she might've realized this and played with his feelings by going out with high-school football star Duncan Matthews, but he somehow knew that she would eventually come around. More than once, he suspected that she might have felt the same way about him. Now, he wasn't so sure. Unlike Matthews, Warren Worthington was not a jerk, despite what he said earlier. And now, after witnessing her kiss with Warren and her announcement that she really did like Angel more than she would ever like him (after all, she did say things would be better if he was dead), Scott Summers cannot face it. As Cyclops, he wouldn't think twice about jumping in to action against Magneto and his pitch or an army of mutant-slaying Sentinels. But to confront Jean and realize that she was lost to him forever? ~No way~ He loved her too much, and although he wanted her to be happy, he really did, he knew he can never stand the sight of her being with another man. More importantly, there was no way he could trust himself, not since Apocalypse.

            Entering his room, Scott pulled out his briefcase and began to pack. Throwing in some clothes, shoes, money, his laptop and whatever else might be required, he also stuffed in an extra pair of ruby-quartz glasses and his combat visor. Looking around for anything that he might be missing, his gaze rested on a framed picture of Jean and himself. ~We looked so happy together~ he thought, staring at himself with an arm wrapped around her shoulders. He threw it in with the rest of his stuff. Shrugging on his leather jacket, he turned around to see Professor Xavier staring at him from his door.

            Neither spoke for a long time. The Professor was fully aware of what the younger man was doing and the actions that brought it about. Wheeling himself in and closing the door behind him, the Professor regarded his surrogate son with fatherly eyes. No words were spoken; none were needed. Their understanding was complete. Both knew the younger boy wouldn't be staying. 

"Scott, before you go, I want you to take this with you." Xavier handed his first student a sealed envelop with a big X stamped across it. "I already wired some money into your back account, which should last you for several weeks." Pause. "You know where to go if you need help," he finished. Before he turned to leave, Scott hugged the Professor, who returned the embrace affectionately. Jumping out the window, he turned his head and said, "I'll be back," before disappearing into the darkness.  Sighing, Xavier turned to leave, but before he did, his eyes strayed to the blue and gold uniform lying on the floor, the golden 'X' shining brightly in the light. 

***************************************************************

            As the large Boeing 777 passenger jet jumped into air, Scott Summers found himself staring at the framed picture of Jean. Didn't she realize how much he loved her? ~Get over it Summers. She's with Warren now~

Deciding that now was as good a time as any to open the envelope given to him by Xavier, Scott found two packages of paper. Reading the first one, labelled "Article 629E," Scott found the document reporting on the increase of mutant signatures detected by Cerebro, and warns of the possible implications of such a proliferation of mutants in the world. The report made two recommendations to ensure that the chances of an outbreak of a war between human and mutants be kept to a minimum. More schools such as the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters should be established to help younger mutants learn control of their powers, and a need to expand the mutant police force such as the X-men to accommodate the increase in mutant activity.

            The second document immediately caught Scott's attention, as it was labelled "Restricted Access." Briefly skimming over the first few pages, he established that the manuscript was the blueprint for a new mutant police force similar to the X-men. In it was also a map that showed the location of a new base (in California), access codes to the facility and a small list of mutants that Cerebro put together that should be considered for such a team. Smiling at the fact that Xavier had tasked him, not the adults, with the responsibility of forming a second band of mutant superheroes, the former leader of the X-men took out his laptop and highlighter and started to work.

Several hours later, the plane landed in the province of Quebec, in Canada, to refuel. As he stepped out of the airport for a much-needed stretch, Scott saw a gang of people chasing a teenage girl through the streets. 

"Stupid freak! We don't want you!"

"What the hell are you doing in our city?"

"Shouldn't you be at the circus or somethin'?"

            Predictably, the small group of mutant haters cornered the child in an alley. As they moved in on her, metal bars and baseball bats in their hands, they were stopped by a voice.

"Leave her alone."

            Turning to see Scott behind them, the crowd looked surprised, but then quickly angry. "Or else what? You gonna blind us with your sunglasses at night?"

"So you don't like my shades? Guess I should take'em off?" the young mutant smirked.

"Whatever works for you buddy." At that, two men charged him. Both of them were much taller than Scott, who was already 6ft 3 in, and outweighed him by at least 50 lbs. It looked like it was going to be a slaughter. 

"You aren't gonna hit a guy with glasses, are you?" At that, he lifted his glasses above his eyes, letting forth a powerful blast that knocked both his attackers against a wall, out cold. At the sight of the two heavily armed-men defeated so easily, the others fled the scene as fast as they could.

            Replacing his glasses, Scott walked over to the mutant girl, checking her for injuries. As he approached, she shied away from him, obviously terrified with what she just witnessed. Although she looked like a normal girl, Scott noticed for the first time that she had a lilac-tinge to her skin and strange purple markings on her face. "What's your name?"

"C-Clarice," she managed to stutter out. 

"Where are your parents? Shouldn't they be around?" he said, looking around. There was no response. Deciding to take a different approach, he asked, "So, you are a mutant." At that, the girl nodded. "What is your mutation? What can you do?" In a soft voice, she whispered, "I can teleport. But I'm not very good at it." 

"That's okay. You'll get better. Come on, I'll get you home." The girl didn't move.

"I don't have one," she said, barely audibly.

            Scott Summers considered his situation for a moment. He couldn't take the girl with him, as he had a job to do, but he couldn't just leave her here either. He toyed briefly with the idea of bringing her to the new base in California. Taking her hand, he led her back to the airport, on the basis that he would find her some foster parents someway along his trip.

            He never did. As it turned out, Clarice Ferguson, codenamed Blink, turned out to be the second member of Xavier's second group of mutant peacekeepers, dubbed "X-Factor."

***************************************************************

            Retreating to the library, Jean Grey buried herself in a book. It was just one of the ways she escaped reality and truly relaxed herself. Although to her friends and other members of the X-men she's 'Miss Perfect,' only a handful of people knew the real Jean. Her façade of confidence and self-assurance successfully concealed her sometimes temperamental and insecure nature, one that also longed for acceptance, for love. Scott knew that Jean, and accepted her because of it, not in spite of it. Would Warren be the same?

            Several months have passed since Scott left the Institute. The official reason for his departure was that he was "assigned a difficult mission that would take him away for an extended period of time."  Although it was half true, everyone knew the real reason he left. Around the mansion, Jean and Warren were the talk of the Institute. Branded the "Perfect Couple," they were now considered an item, a stage that she had never reached with Scott. Despite this, she found herself thinking of him, more than she wanted to.

~It's not like I loved him anyway. He's arrogant, uptight and a total jerk; unlike Warren, who's kind, sweet and caring, everything Scott isn't. I'm happier with my boyfriend than I ever was with the Jerk. Who wouldn't want to be with a cute, rich billionaire as opposed to a stuck-up, orphaned, air force brat? If the Jerk wants to leave, fine by me. It's a good thing I didn't love him....~  Why was she lying to herself?

"Oh Scott, I'm so sorry," she whispered, hoping in some way he can hear her. "Please, come back soon."  

Authors Note: Yeah, yeah, I know that wasn't how X-Factor came about, and the members would be completely different from the actual ones in the X-men universe, but hey, this ISN'T the X-men universe. It's the X-men Evolution universe. =) 


	7. Chapter 7

**_Chapter 7_**

            His 'experiments' were lying on an operating table, restrained and unconscious. Sinister had almost finished preparing the two mutants that he acquired for 'genetic enhancement.' As he waited for them to come around, he found himself studying Scott Summers' DNA. He was astounded by the structure of proteins, genes and chromosomes. ~So much potential~ he thought.

            Of course, in its current state, the DNA would not be of very much use to him. In spite of this, its genetic structure offered the basis for the makings of an Omega-class mutant of immense power.  For his plan to be successful, Essex now needs to find and obtain the DNA of another mutant that will complement those of Summers'. And nothing will stop him from attaining that DNA and breaking himself free from Apocalypse's control.

            As his two test subjects stirred awake, he was forced to return to his work. One was male and the other female, both captured during a raid on the Morlocks, a group of mutants who lived in the sewers. Normally considered genetically useless, Sinister found that these two particular specimens suited Apocalypse's requirement perfectly. The male subject was a former soldier who participated in the Vietnam War. In addition to being a competent soldier, the mutant is able to generate concussive blasts with his hands. The female subject was a mutant who had the power to make a person ill through direct touch. Both were judged worthy by Apocalypse to marshal in his age of tyranny.  With a sinister smirk, Essex began his 'genetic enhancements.'

***************************************************************

            The X-Factor residency was similar to the one in Bayville, but with some major differences. For one, it was miles away from the closest city or town. In terms of land area, it was almost twice as big. Amongst its features include a mountain climbing range, a massive outdoor survival course, an extensive outdoor shooting gallery and a very elaborate recreation area. Furthermore, a comprehensive security network of cameras, infrared sensors, heat-missile batteries and energy guns guarded the premises from attack. As for the living quarters, it's slightly more than half the size of the mansion in Bayville, yet retains all its sophistication and comfort. Finally, there was the Danger Room, which was an exact replica of the one at the Institute.

            Which was where all the X-Factor members were at now, training. It hadn't taken much to recruit new members, proving to Scott to be far easier than past experiences. Standing in the control room, he was putting his teammates through their paces. On a Friday night. Typical Scott.

            A smile crept to his face as he watched Blink defend against a few wall-mounted laser cannons. After taking her with him, the young girl spent many hours in the Danger Room, honing her ability to distort spatial energy, to the point that she is now able to teleport the whole team to virtually anywhere on earth with ease. This comes in pretty handy considering that X-Factor isn't provided with any type of transportation like an X-jet or Velocity.

            The next member that he managed to land was none other than Jubilation Lee, who was part of the New Recruits before her parents pulled her out. She was the most energetic of all the members, and got along well with everybody. She instantly befriended Elizabeth Braddock, or 'Betsy,' as she preferred to be called. Born with telepathic powers, she came from a well-established family in Europe, and it took only a simple phone call to convince her to join the team. As an added bonus, she was trained extensively in hand-to-hand combat, and was remarkably agile.

            Satisfied with their performance, Scott dismissed his team by 7:45 p.m., just as he promised. "Alright team, that's enough for today. Hit the showers and then you can do whatever you want – just be back by two, and try to stay away from the alcohol, okay? You all have Logan sessions tomorrow." He knew that there was a party being held, by some Jason White kid, and decided that they deserve the break. They certainly earned it.

"Omigosh, thank you _so_ much Cyke! You are so cool!" With that, Clarice blinked them away in a disk of gold light.  

            Cyclops practiced in the Danger Room for a couple more hours before retreating to his room. It was now close to 11 p.m., and Scott Summers found himself lying on his bed. Taking out Jean's picture, he found himself thinking of her – again. He missed her, but he can't go back. He couldn't. Not after what happened anyway. 

"What, no welcome wagon? Where's the hospitality bro?" came an unmistakably male voice with a Hawaiian accent.

"Alex, you made it! I thought you wouldn't be arriving until tomorrow morning!"

"Well, what can I say dude? I just love surprises. Say, I'm totally jet-lagged; know a place where I can crash?"

"Sure, bro, right this way." It had taken a lot of convincing to get Alex to even come in the first place, and he still wasn't so sure. Scott promised him that he didn't have to join the team if he didn't want to, but that he should fly up here now and then to learn better control of his powers. Besides, it wasn't like there was anything better to do, surfing season was on hiatus, and his hand blasts have been a bit erratic lately. More importantly, it gave them both time for a little brotherly bonding – especially after he spent several months thinking Scott was dead.

            As Alex stepped inside his room, his jaw nearly hit the floor. The room was much bigger than the one at home, and its walls were decorated with paintings of surfers and stuff like that. An exact replica of his surfboard hung on the wall above his bed. The furniture included a bed, a large desk and a closet carved out of expensive looking wood. On his desk, every stationary item imaginable could be found, complete even with his own laptop. "Wow, is that mine?"

"Sure is bro. Come on, I'll show you around." 

            He then led his little brother on a tour of the mansion, not leaving a single detail out. Scott even showed his brother the surfing simulation that he programmed into the Danger Room in anticipation for his arrival. After sharing a few laughs, they found themselves back in Scott's room.

"Sooooo, where's that pretty redhead that you've been after since forever?" Alex asked casually, glancing on the picture that was left on his bed.

"She's not here. And I don't want to talk about it." Alex was hurt, but not surprised, by his response. His older brother literally carries the weight of the world on his shoulders, and is unwilling to share the burden with anyone. Scott has had it a lot tougher than Alex, and he felt guilty because of it. After their parents died, Alex was adopted shortly after by his foster parents in Hawaii. However, Scott was in a coma for almost a year, and then, for reasons unknown, was never adopted. The head of the orphanage (some Essex character) had taken a great interest in him ever since he woke up from his comatose. He ran away after another year, and spent the next two living on the streets, blind because of his power, before he was picked up by Professor Xavier and enrolled as the first student of his Institute. 

"Come on bro! You can't bottle it up inside forever. You gotta talk to someone about it, and who's better for the job than your little brother?" the younger mutant pressed.

            Scott, seeing that he wasn't going to drop the subject, relented. "She's with someone else now. I screwed up, and now, she's found someone else," he repeated slowly, "who's a better match anyway. They both come from wealthy, caring families, so she would probably be happier with him than with a poor, blind orphan such as myself. At least she's happy; guess its just better this way." 

            Alex knew, ever since that incident on Asteroid M, how Scott felt about Jean. He always thought that someday, they'll end up together. ~Guess I was wrong~ Taking a look at the expression on Scott's face, he decided to change the subject. "So what's this X-Factor you keep talking about? I won't be forced to join, right?" he asked, jokingly.

"No Alex, you don't have to join if you don't want to," Scott said with a laugh. "We are not like the X-men – we're a lot more covert. We pose as a gang of mutant hunters, but we really just take in mutants and help them control their powers. Our secondary job is to prevent a war between human and mutants. Otherwise, we're pretty much the same as the X-men. If you want, you can sign up as a reserve member or something, you know, part-time. Blink can take you from here to Hawaii in a heartbeat, so travel time won't be a problem. Speaking of which, the girls should be back soon...."

"Wait a minute. The rest of the members are chicks?" He might like it here after all. The two chatted amicably for a long time before finally turning in and catching some Z's.


	8. Chapter 8

**_Chapter 8_**

            "Logan, where are you going?" Jean asked as she spotted the burly man walking towards his bike.

"I got some things to catch up on Jeannie," he replied smoothly, "gonna take a few days."

Jean smirked, eyebrow quirked. If she didn't know Logan like she did, she might've actually fallen for his lie. She pinned him with one of her 'looks.'

"Come on, you can trust me. I won't tell anyone, I promise." Still, Logan was unmoving.

Jean and Logan had a father-daughter, or Uncle-niece relationship going. When she first enrolled into the Institute, Logan had promised to look out for her. But as close as they were, there was no way the older man can tell her where he was headin'.

"Pleeeeaaase?" Jean tried one final time.

"Sorry Red, but I can't tell ya. I just gotta take care o' some business."

"Fine, be that way. Just bring yourself back in one piece, okay? And stay out of trouble; you won't be much good to us if Sabertooth makes mincemeat out of you."

            Never one to show much emotion, Wolverine just smiled and gave her a nod before disappearing into the garage.

***************************************************************

            Parking his bike behind some bushes, Logan stepped into the forest. A figure was already waiting for him. "Ya ready to go kid?"

"Ready when you are, Mr. Logan."

"Just call me Logan kid."

"Okay - Logan." Suddenly, a golden portal appeared before disappearing just as quickly when the two walked through it.

            Another disc appeared, this time in California. Wolverine stepped out and was met with the morning sun, before Blink made her way out and closed the portal behind her.

"Welcome to X-Factor, Wolverine," said a familiar voice. He turned around to see the tall figure of Scott Summers, ruby glasses gleaming in the sunlight.

"Long-time no see kid." The two exchanged a brief handshake before turning to the rest of the team. 

"As you already know, this is Jubilee and my brother Alex." The two waved. "And that is Betsy and Clarice," Scott finished, pointing to a 17 yr. old Asian girl and Blink. After the introductions were complete, Alex spoke up. "Hey, its almost lunchtime, and I'm starving. How bout we go to town and grab a bite to eat?"

***************************************************************

            "Nice place you've got running here," Logan commented as he sat across from Scott, "I'm impressed."

"Yeah, well, its mostly my team. They're a good bunch of kids, and they're quickly mastering their powers." Alex almost choked on his food. The others beamed at Scott's response.

"My brother is actually giving us a compliment? Bro, that's something I could get used to." The others laughed.

            They sat there, joking around (except for Scott and Logan), until their food arrived. Working on his sandwich, Scott's sermon about teamwork was interrupted by Jubilee, who looked over at him and giggled excitedly.

  
"Scott, those girls over there are totally checking you out," referring to a group of women (who wouldn't look out of place on the front-cover of a cosmetic magazine) that was sitting not far from their table. Sure enough, they seem to be studying Scott with great interest, giggling to each other.

Giving a fake chuckle, Scott replied, "Jubes, I don't know what you're talking about."

            At this point, Alex stepped in. "No way bro, they are! And they're kinda cute! Look at that blond!....I really _could_ get used to California," he added as an afterthought. "What are you waiting for? Go over there and make a move!"

Logan found himself observing the developing situation with great interest. Most importantly, he wanted to know what Scott would do. He was almost enjoying himself watching him squirm as the other students continued to push him on. Scott, on the other hand, began to look extremely uncomfortable.

"Come on! It's obvious that they like you. Knock'em dead with that Summers charm!"

"Guys, just drop it already!"  His tone left no room for protest. Everyone stared at him in shock. They were only trying to help. Jubilee and Alex exchanged knowing glances before everyone returned to their food.

            Wolverine smiled to himself, although he didn't let his contentment show.

*************************************************************** 

            Blink landed on her rump as Logan knocked her down for the third time. "Geez, do you have to hit so hard?" she complained.

"Sorry kid, but yere enemies won't be goin' easy on ya." For the whole weekend, X-Factor has been training with Logan in hand-to-hand combat. It was now time for the test. Each member had to fight Wolverine in a one-on-one battle. So far, the only person to last more than thirty seconds was Betsy, who actually got in a few hits before she was knocked out.

            As Logan helped Blink to her feet, Alex complained, "How come Scott doesn't have to fight you? Isn't he part of the team?" A chorus of agreements ran through the thoroughly bruised and beaten crowd. A wicked smirk was plastered on Wolverine's face.

            Cyclops knew that he had been had. ~I'm going to kill you Alex~ he thought, beaming a look a pure hate at his younger brother. He decided to make things more interesting. "Hey Logan, if you're game, how 'bout we turn things up a notch? First one to land three hits wins. Full powers." He stated the last part very clearly.

"Doesn't matter kid. Either way, ye're gonna get yer ass handed to ya."

            So it was set. Logan was provided with two pairs of plastic blades that would substitute for his adamentium claws, while Scott's visor was reduced to minimum power. The tension was high as the two combatants moved to opposite sides of the Danger Room.

"Control, activate training sequence 56, Mediterranean Sun." Instantly, the whole room warped and the participants found themselves in the ruins of some kind of temple, with large columns protruding from the marble floor.

"Gotta give you somewhere to run, old-timer, or else this'll be over in two seconds flat." 

            Logan smirked at the smart-ass comment. ~This kid needs to be knocked down a peg or two. Or fifty~

            The buzzer sounded, signalling the start of the duel. One hand to his visor, Scott immediately sent an optic blast in Logan's direction, which he dodged. He kept firing every time Logan appeared, and every time he missed. Suddenly, he decided to try a new strategy. When his counterpart next reared his head behind a pillar, he obliterated the structure with a single blast, causing it to topple and knock over several other columns in a domino effect. This created a smoke screen, something that Cyclops had definitely not intended. With his heightened senses and stealth, Logan can easily ambush him from any position now. He decided to stand still and use his own sense of enhanced hearing, acquired during the time he spent being blind, to try to get a bearing on his opponent.

            The soft sound of pebbles falling to the floor alerted him to danger. Spinning quickly around, he saw Wolverine in the air, soaring towards him, plastic claws bared. Diving to the ground, Scott blasted his attacker in the chest before he managed to land a blow. 

            Getting up, Wolverine lunged at Scott, who found himself barely dodging his claws as he swiped at him in a frenzy. He was so preoccupied that Scott didn't see a foot come up and kick him hard in the chest, sending him soaring backwards.

            Dodging another optic blast, Wolverine dove at the younger mutant, who was clutching his sides on the floor. Fully intending to let him get a taste of his training blades, a hand grabbed his wrist and held it fast, before he felt himself being pulled forward and catapulted into a wall.

            Staggering to his feet, Cyclops suddenly found himself envying Wolverine's healing powers. A fist came out of nowhere and narrowly missed his face before another found his gut. Clutching his sides once again, he doubled over, gasping for breath.

"You've gotten better, kid. I must admit, I didn't think you'd last this long." Because he knew Logan for such a long time, he knew that the statement was just one of his distractions. At the sound of footsteps, he turned his head, only to see his adversary running at him – fast. Aiming, he fired an optic blast, which the shorter mutant easily sidestepped. "Game over kid," Wolverine crowed, as a set of claws cut through the air towards Cyclops' chest.

"Not quite." A streak of crimson erupted from Scott's eyes and slammed into Wolverine's shoulder just as his claws impacted his. The simulation ended immediately.

"Simulation terminated. Results of sequence 56 - Match between Cyclops and Wolverine ended in a stalemate," the speakers announced.

***************************************************************

            Before Clarice was going to take him home, Wolverine found himself alone with Cyclops on one of the mansion balconies. "That was some pretty sharp shooting kid. You've grown up a lot since I last saw you."

"Thanks - you weren't so bad yourself." Pause. "Guess I'm not the defenceless blind kid that you first met, huh?"

"You never were," came the response. An uncomfortable silence settled between them as both stared off into the darkness. 

"So, you taking care of my car? She needs a waxing once in a while...."

"As good as the day you bought her," the stout Canadian finished. After a long pause, he continued, "She misses you."

"Sure."

 "Yer impossible, kid." Grunting, Logan turned and left.. When he was almost out of earshot, he heard someone shout, "Take care of her too." 


	9. Chapter 9

**_Chapter 9         _**

            Almost a year has passed since Scott's departure, and after a while, things settled back into a normal routine at the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters. Jean Grey, Angel, Rogue, Remy, Kurt and Kitty found themselves watching news as it televised another report on mysterious 'kidnappings' by an unknown group of mutant hunters.

"Earlier today, there has been a report that another mutant have been kidnapped in the West coast area. This adds to a total of 21 kidnappings so far. What makes this even more strange is the fact that 10 of the mutants have been returned safely home, stating that the mysterious group, which called themselves 'X-Factor,' just wanted to help and were actually really friendly...."

"Wow, this sounds serious. You think that we should, like, check it out?"

"I don't know about that Kitty. They seem to be pretty powerful to pull off something like that, and from the report of the 10 returned mutants, there might be a telepath amongst them as well."

"Not'ing dat Gambit can't handle."

"Shut yoah trap, swamp-rat, before Ah shut it fo' yah."

"Of more news on the mutant issue," the news reporter continued, "the FOH or Friends of Humanity would like to inform all mutants that they should register themselves in one of their many headquarters so that they can help them control their powers...."

"Bullshit," came a gruff voice from the doorway. Six heads turned around and saw Wolverine with Professor Xavier standing by the doorway. "Yes, this is a serious problem. We need more information on this. Jean, gather all the X-men in the Planning room immediately."

"Professor, vhat avhout the kidnappings?"

"Don't worry about it Kurt. I'm sure the everything's just fine." The others exchanged confused glances before walking out of the Rec Room.

***************************************************************

            In California, Scott Summers gathered X-Factor in the Briefing Room after receiving news of the FOH Mutant Registration issue. 

"X-Factor, we have just received orders for another mission. The Friends of Humanity have invited mutants to register themselves so that they can be 'helped,' but the most likely reason is probably so that they'll be able to track us more easily. We are tasked with a recon mission, and will be sending one operative into their Registration building. Betsy, because of your telepathy and talent in stealth and hand-to-hand combat, I have picked you to infiltrate the facility and gather information on why they want mutant data so badly. 

"Your callsign is Psylocke. Blink will port you there immediately. Here's your image inducer – good luck." As an afterthought, he added with an impish smile, "Everyone else, to the Danger Room." 

***************************************************************

            "Because of the nature of this mission, we will only send one member of the X-men to carry out reconnaissance. Angel, because of your background and your social skills, we have tasked you with this important responsibility. You will be posing as yourself, a wealthy business man who just happens to take an interest in the FOH. You will leave immediately on-board the X-jet."

***************************************************************

            Pyslocke easily evaded the advanced security systems of the Mutant Registration office. Prior to the mission, she had studied the blueprints provided by X-Factor, till the point she knew the building like the back of her hand. The perimeter was guarded by barbed wire pulsing with electrical currents. With her ninja training, she easily jumped over it. She then proceeded to the observation tower, taking out the guards and disabling much of the security in the process. Turning on her image inducer, she carefully made her way to the main computer room. After hacking the network, Betsy accessed some files, and what met her eyes made her gasp in astonishment. 

~We had our suspicions, but this .... goes beyond anything that we ever thought of. Their actually going to....~

Just then, the doorknob turned. Quickly, Betsy jumped to the ceiling and clung on to it. A tall, blond man walked in. Closing the door quietly behind him, he made his way to the monitors. 

Finding the computer already on, Warren was shocked at what he saw, before wondering why the files were opened in the first place. Suddenly, he was knocked off his feet, flat on his back. Looking up, he saw a beautiful Asian girl with dark purple hair. Some kind of glowing blade radiated from her hand, which she pointed at his throat.

            Realizing that she was a mutant, Warren held up his hands in defeat. "Whoa whoa! Easy! I'm also a mutant," he said, getting up.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question."

At that moment, three heavily armed soldiers burst through the doors and took aim at them with their laser rifles.

"Freeze! You are under arrest! Do not resist!"

            Thinking quickly, Psylocke grabbed Warren's arm and twisted it. He screamed out in pain as she pulled him in front of her as a shield. "Stay back if you want him alive!" Her actions had the desired affect; the men took Warren for the victim and focused on her.

"My name's Betsy," she whispered beside his ear before kicking him into her pursuers. Dodging the bursts of blue light, she jumped out the window and instantly disappeared.

~Wow~ Warren thought, as he sat there, staring at the open window. ~Wow....~

***************************************************************

"Are you sure of this?" inquired Professor Xavier.

"I'm positive. The main reason why the FOH is encouraging the registration of mutants is so that a project undertaken by some Bolivar Trask can be improved. When I accessed the files, there was already an extensive database that held very detailed information about some mutants, such as powers, ability, relatives, etc." Angel declared. He left out the part about Betsy – he didn't think it was important.

"This is not good, Charles," Wolverine stated, thoughtful. "If Trask is using that information for what I suspect...."

"You're absolutely right, Logan. I'm afraid we have no choice but to destroy those records. Gather the X-men in the Planning Room immediately." He dismissed them.

As Warren Worthington walked out of Xavier's study, he found himself reliving his encounter with Betsy. ~What a girl~

As he turned into another hall, he nearly bumped into Jean. "Oh Jean, I'm sorry. Can you get the others? The Prof wants us to report to the Planning Room."

"Uhhh, sure Warren," Jean had a strange look on her face. As Warren walked away, he didn't realize that he was broadcasting. 

***************************************************************

            Inside an underground bunker, Dr. Bolivar Trask was working on expanding his Sentinel project when someone knocked on his door. 

"Dr. Trask, there have been reports that a mutant has infiltrated the Mutant Registration Headquarters and accessed files linked to the Sentinel project." The files were supposed to upgrade the internal mutant database of the Sentinels, providing information such as height, weight, powers, relatives and abilities.

"Did they apprehend the mutant?" Trask demanded.

"No sir. Unfortunately, the mutant escaped before the main alert soldiers managed to lock down the area in time. Sir, if those files are destroyed -"

"I know very well the possible consequences," he interrupted. Pondering his thoughts, the doctor considered the possible course of action.

"Prepare all operational Sentinels on stand-by alert." With a salute, he was left alone again.

            Several minutes later, in the depths of the earth, thirty pairs of red eyes lit up the underground room as the Sentinels were activated.

***************************************************************

            Mr. Sinister found himself studying the files from the Mutant Registration office. With his shape-shifting ability, it wasn't hard to infiltrate the building at all, despite the added security. 

            Bring up a new window, his eyes widened in surprise. Because of his nature, he wasn't a man to show any sentiment, but this went far beyond anything he had ever hoped for. To think that he finally found what he was searching for in the eleven years since he met Scott Summers in this little mud hole. 

It was under his nose the whole time, and he chose to overlook it. The girl that Scott Summers fancied would be the final key to his freedom. And he fully intended to give Scott what he always wanted.

            Laughing maniacally, he left the room, the profile of Jean Grey still left on the computer screen. The stage was set, and everything was coming together perfectly.


	10. Chapter 10

This chapter is heavily influenced by 'Night of the Sentinels' the first X-men episode. Recommend that you watch it- Scott kicks some serious ass.

**_Chapter 10_**

            The X-Jet touched down in a small clearing of a forest in the middle of the night. Quietly, the X-men made their way to the edge of the forest, not even 500 ft from the electrical fence. Tonight, they would be fully represented – even the New Recruits were brought along, on the belief that they would gain some experience in combat. They couldn't have been more wrong.

            Quietly, Storm, Wolverine, Beast and Gambit made their way into the compound. They left Jean and Warren in charge. After breaching the electric fence, they quickly made their way to the main building, taking out a few guards in the process. They were expected. 

***************************************************************

            "Dr. Trask, mutants are attacking the Registration office."

            "As expected. Release the Sentinels. Let them face their future."

***************************************************************

            Jean Grey and Angel found themselves standing alone under a large tree as the X-men got into position to cover the escape. After a moment of silence, Jean spoke up, "So's her name's Betsy, huh?"

            Angel was shocked that she would pry into his mind without permission. Noticing his reaction, Jean continued, "No, I didn't pry. You were broadcasting your thoughts as you walked out of the Study." A pause. "She seems to have made quite a first impression," she smiled as it brought back memories.

            "Look, Jean I can explain-"

            "Warren, really its okay. You don't have to say anything. I've been thinking a lot about us. I really like you and all, but I don't think our relationship would've worked out. Betsy seems like a nice girl, and my heart already belongs to.... someone else," she finished awkwardly. Both knew who she was talking about.

            Warren was hit by a wave of mixed emotions. Although he was upset, deep inside, he knew what she said was true. He wanted her to be happy, and he had a feeling that Jean would be a lot happier with 'someone else.' It's not like he was itemizing Jean by thinking he could just 'give' her away, but he saw no point in ending their relationship on a low note. Smiling, he held her in a tight hug. "I just hope this 'someone else' realizes just how special you are Jean."

            Just at that moment, they were both knocked off their feet as a missile exploded against the tree they were standing by.

***************************************************************

            Xavier was tracking the progress of the X-men through Cerebro when something unexpected spiked up. Suddenly, Cerebro was overwhelmed with information as it detected many of the X-men using their powers outside the FoH Registration office. Detecting no significant human reading anywhere near the area, he put two and two together. His eyes expanded in shock ~Sentinels!~

            He winced as he relived their battle against a single Sentinel. To put it mildly, they had been defeated, with a number of X-men captured before Magneto finally destroyed the Sentinel.

            In truth, Xavier considered Cyclops (who had not been part of the battle) and his brother Alex to be the most potent counter to the Sentinel threat. So far, both had only fought the robots in simulations in the Danger Room, with promising results. This, however, does not necessarily mean that the same would happen in the real world – such things rarely do, as the simulation was based on a rough generalization of the abilities of their enemy. 

~I suppose its time to find out~ Although Xavier didn't believe it was the right time to expose X-Factor, he understood that he didn't have much of a choice.

//Scott, you need head to the Mutant Registration Office immediately. The X-men are pinned down and require your support\\

It took a few moments before Cyclops finally responded. 

//We're already gone\\

***************************************************************

            "Fire in da hole!" Gambit shouted as he charged a cabinet, containing the last of the hard copies.

            "Well, dats de last o' em," Gambit reported, clapping his hands casually. "Dat was easy."

            "And I've finished erasing the last files from the hard drive," Beast said as he finished typing his final code into the main computer.

            "Well then, it seems we have outstayed our welcome," Storm observed as the doors to the room started being pounded upon. The others agreed and they quickly made their way to the exit. As they stepped outside, they found their friends engaged in a fierce firefight with at least six Sentinels. 

"Oh my stars and garters." They had so much trouble just taking on one before, but now.... six?

***************************************************************

            Jean Grey and Angel found themselves being outgunned and out-manoeuvred. They hadn't destroyed a single Sentinel (although they did damage a few), while members of their team started dropping. The X-men with no long-range attacks, such as Sunspot, Nightcrawler and Shadowcat, were especially vulnerable. 

Iceman did his best by freezing the arms, shoulders and chest of several robots, where all weapons were launched. He was just finishing his third before another Sentinel took aim and attacked. Barely avoiding the barrage of purple lasers, Bobby extended his arm to freeze his assailant, but nothing happened. "I'm all iced out!" 

Before either combatant could make a move, a blast of magma struck the Sentinel in the chest. However, Amara's attack wasn't quite powerful enough to do any significant damage before she was knocked unconscious as a missile exploded near-by. "Amara!" Tabitha and Bobby made their way to their friend as Berserker fired a bolt of electricity, with little effect. At this point, Rogue came running over and briefly absorbed Bobby's and Amara's powers. She managed to fend off two Sentinels as the others made their way to cover. Kitty and Kurt did their best to stay alive, porting and phasing to the point of exhaustion.

By now, Storm, Wolverine, Gambit and Beast joined the fray, in a frenzy of thunder, flaming cards and adamentium claws. Gambit found himself coming face-to-face with one of the giant mutant-hunters, and in a barrage of Aces, Kings and whatever else that was in his decks of cards, the Sentinel was peppered with small explosions. Suddenly, the machine was rocked by a giant blast as a charged card finally lodged itself into its shoulder, igniting its missile supply. With one arm completely gone, the heavily damaged Sentinel continued its attack. By now, Gambit had run out of cards and was resorting to throwing whatever he can find.

Storm's lightning was useful for keeping the Sentinels at bay, but did little actual damage. Beast and Wolverine were at an immediate disadvantage, and both resorted to distract their attackers while the others regrouped.

"It's no use. We're being overwhelmed!"

Mentally picking up a Sentinel and slamming it into a tree, Jean dropped to the ground, exhausted. Everyone else seemed to be in equally bad shape - injured, tired, or both. They had succeeded in destroying the mutant files, but what would be the cost? Taking a headcount, they were now completely surrounded by at least twenty Sentinels. A military chopper buzzed by, and a man that she recognized as the one who built the first Sentinel spoke to them in a loud voice. ~What was his name? Trask or something~ 

"X-men," Trask almost sneered the name, "as you can see, we have you totally surrounded. I recommend that you surrender immediately, but that choice is yours to make. If its any incentive, consider that at the moment, there are enough bullets, missiles and rockets pointed at you to fight a small war."

"Warren, what do we do?" 

"I don't know. We don't have much of a choice but surrender..." he trailed off. Appalled by his lack of valour, she found herself thinking of Scott. ~If only Scott was here....he'll know what to do~

            The X-men started considering the options: If they continued to fight, surely they'll be slaughtered. However, if they surrendered, they'll likely be used as test subjects for "research." The biggest fear of every mutant is to be cut open and experimented on. After they're done, they'll dispose of them just the same. At least if they fought, some of them may be able to make it out alive.... 

With what little strength she had left, the fiery redhead got to her feet and assumed a battle stance. Slowly, the others got to their feet as well. They've come too far to be defeated, and they weren't going to back down. 

"So you choose death," Trask ridiculed, "Fine by me. The world will be a better place without mutants poisoning our gene pool." At his command, the shoulders of every single Sentinel opened up, revealing an impressive arsenal of missiles and rockets. Simultaneously, a huge barrage of heat-seeking incendiary rockets was released. Surrounded from every side, there was little the mutants could do to stop the incoming missiles as they smoked towards their targets.

Nobody noticed the girl that stepped out of a mysterious gold disk some distance away....


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 

The missiles continued to streak towards their targets. Suddenly, their heat-seekers where scrambled as a huge burst of plasma energy exploded above the battlefield, causing the them to lose their lock and home in on the brighter heat source instead. There was a massive explosion as the weapons detonated well above their targets.

The X-men were astounded. "Jubes!" Amara cried. There, standing by a tree close to where they were fighting, was Jubilation Lee, hands out-stretched, still smoking from the blast. She was wearing a black spandex suit, much like the standard New Recruit outfit, but with silver gloves, belt and boots instead of gold ones. In addition, she wore a stylish leather/Kevlar bullet-proof jacket on top of her uniform, with "X-Factor" stitched in silver thread on the back of the jacket.  Posing beside her was a pretty girl with purple hair, and Havoc, Scott's brother, both dressed in similar attire. Alex's hands were pulsating with plasma energy, glowing bright orange in the darkness of the night.

Trask was surprised for a moment, but quickly became amused. "More mutants?" he leered. "What makes you think that you'll do any better than your friends?" he laughed. 

His question was answered by a huge explosion as a beam of red struck the closest Sentinel in the arm. Another disc of golden energy materialized, this time in front of the X-men. As hunks of burning metal dropped to the ground, Cyclops and Blink emerged from the portal. "So you're the fanatic that's been causing all the trouble," Scott observed. He was more intense than ever before, with his jaw firmly clenched, and eyes glowing red with unused solar energy, illuminating his entire body in an eerie crimson glow. With both hands to his visor, he finished the Sentinel with one huge blast at max power.

"Scott!" Jean ran up and hugged the long-lost leader of the X-men. Pulling back a bit, she noticed that he had exchanged his usual yellow visor for a silver one that matched his X-Factor uniform. The ruby-quartz was still smoking.   

Shouting over Jean's shoulder, he commanded in his best leader voice, "X-Factor, protect the X-men as they retreat!" Gripping her shoulders, he looked down into her emerald eyes, and whispered, "Jean, you must go with them. I'll stay behind and keep the Sentinels busy."

"Be careful," she whispered by his ear before turning to leave. Cyclops immediately blasted an incoming Sentinel. No effect. ~Armour must be stronger than we thought~ Rolling away from the counterattack, he fired again – this time ripping an arm right off. Some distance away, Havoc was blasting away as flashes of orange lit up the night sky. Although optic blasts were more powerful, Alex can shoot in two directions at once. They covered each other's position flawlessly, working as if they'd been practicing together for years. Their pyrotechnics kept the Sentinels at bay as the X-men retreated into the woods.

            The X-Factor girls protected the X-men with spatial distortions and missile decoys, doing an effective job of neutralizing anything that managed to break through the Summers brothers. Betsy and Angel shared a longing glance at each other before they were forced to part.

            Trask watched on grimly. The addition of these five mutants had turned the tables. The blond kid and the guy with the goggles were doing exceptionally well, disabling most of his creations by destroying their arms and weapons. Although losses still remained fairly light, it was time to pull back.

***************************************************************

            Under the cover fire of X-Factor, the X-men slowly made their way through the forest to the X-jet. Jean wanted to stay behind, but she was in no shape to complain. They almost made it to the jet when they heard someone moaning and crying out for help. Angel and Jean, being the closest ones, quickly cut through the trees to find Boom Boom lying on her back, obviously in pain.

"Omigosh, Tabitha, what happened?" As Warren took her under the arms and eased her up, Tabitha grabbed him and threw him into a tree. 'Boom Boom' transformed into Mr. Sinister. Too weak to fight, the two mutants were petrified as he advanced on them. Holding a small capsule, he explodes it at their feet, releasing some type of knock out gas. 

"Who are you?" Angel choked out as they tried unsuccessfully to fend off the gas.

As she collapsed, barely conscious, Jean heard him reply, "Sinister. Mr. Sinister." Then blackness.

***************************************************************

            In truth, Scott had mixed emotions as the beautiful red-headed telepath ran up and gripped him in a tight hug. Wasn't this the same woman who broke his heart?

            However, all feeling, logic and emotion disappeared, and were replaced by uncontrollable anger and a deep sense of dread when he found out Jean Grey was missing. "What are you talking about?" he screamed at the others. "You were _all_ supposed to retreat together! What the _hell_ were you thinking!" Both X-Factor and X-men recoiled at his outburst.

            "Whoa, don't shoot the messenger," Bobby replied. Scott whipped around to face him, visor practically bursting with ruby light. Everyone could've sworn that it was about to burst any second from now.

            "Calm down Scott," Prof. Xavier said in his best calming voice, "You will do Jean no good by taking your anger out on your team."

"Yeah, but it doesn't mean I have to like it." In a more controlled voice, he continued, "So Warren is gone too?"

"Yeah. Both of them disappeared when they went off to investigate some cries for help."

"Logan, did you search the area?" Scott almost hoped the older mutant had forgot.

"Yeah, I did. Nothin' – I lost their scents after a tracking them a few yards." He stopped when Scott slammed his gloved fist onto a table, punching a hole in the wooden surface. "Don't worry kid, we'll find 'em."

***************************************************************

            Her whole body ached with pain. Opening her eyes, Jean found that everything was blurred. She blinked until she could see with some clarity. Looking around, she found herself securely strapped to an operating table in some sort of lab. She tried to contact the Professor, but her powers didn't seem to be working. She felt something tighten around her throat as she swallowed. ~Must be some kind of collar~

"Ah, I see that you are finally awake Miss Grey." At first, only his glowing red eyes were visible in the darkness, but as the man emerged from the shadows, Jean gasped in terror. His face was impossibly white, with thin, black lips framing two rows of pointed teeth. He was clad in some sort of shining black armour, complete with a cape of metallic strips, topside a matching black and underside red. There was what looked like a ruby embedded on his forehead, matching a larger one centred on his powerful chest. 

"Who are you? What do you want with me? Where's Warren?" she demanded with as much courage as she can muster.

"You're not exactly in a position to be asking many questions, Miss Grey," he responded coolly. "I'm merely extracting some of your DNA," he responded simply. Seeing the look on her face, he continued, "I've discovered that when your DNA is combined with those of Scott Summers, you will breed a mutant of immense power. You two are perfect genetic partners."

Jean was shocked. "Why is it so important that Scott and I be toge-"

"You don't have to be together for me to clone you," he cut her off with a heinous grin.

"You're mad!" Jean exclaimed as she looked around, catching sight of the various laboratory tools and equipment. At this point, she was horrified at what she may be in for. Jean just hoped that the others would find her before it is too late.

He just seemed amused. "Shall we get started, then?" he asked, face breaking into a wicked grin. He picked up a large needle and tested it by depressed the plunger. Several drops of some green liquid dripped from its metal tip.


	12. Chapter 12

AUTHORS NOTE – Some of the quotes are taken almost directly from the show and comics. Can you find 'em? Don't worry, they fit the story, IMHO, and some of them are even quoted.

**_Chapter 12_**

            Warren Worthington III woke up, and found himself in a similar position to that of Jean Grey's. Strapped to an operating table, in some sort of lab, body exploding in pain. Only he was strapped on his stomach, not his back. His eyes lids felt like lead, and he wanted more than anything to just close them and drift back into sleep. Maybe this was all a dream. A bad dream that he'll wake up from in the morning....

            Combing his mind, he remembered seeing Betsy fighting off some Sentinels, some kind of forest, then being knocked into a tree by Boom Boom, who actually turned out to be some white-faced guy in black armour. Then there was the smoke.... Jean! He remembered that Jean was with him. With a lot of effort, he pushed himself up slightly with his body and looked around. She was nowhere in sight. Instead, there were three other bodies strapped onto operating tables much like his.

"Jean?" he called out. "Jean, are you there?"

            There was no response. Grunting, he fell back down again. He had to get out of here. He tried moving his arms and legs, but they were held firmly in place. ~_Man_, Summers is going to clip my wings if he ever found out....~ His wings! He tried moving them, but received this strange sensation instead. Straining his head, he looked behind him, and noticed that they were gone. As reality finally sunk in, he promptly fainted and drifted back into unconsciousness.

***************************************************************

            Scott Summers made use of every resource he had in his effort to find Jean Grey. The search continued at a rapid pace, and between Wolverine's heightened senses and Blink's teleportation, they were able to cover a lot of ground. Not enough, though. It had been almost three days since the two went missing. The only meaningful lead they obtained was some sort of strange canister they found in the forest. After examination, Hank confirmed that it used to contain an advanced knockout gas, which explains how Jean and Warren were captured.

            That was how Scott was found in the Common room at the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters, studying the object for any details. Resting in front of him was an envelope with the Stanford University logo printed neatly on it. Setting the capsule down, he took the envelope in his hand, and ripped it in half before he threw it in the trash bin. Picking up the capsule again, he tossed it into the air as Gambit walked by. The Cajun immediately froze and stared at Cyclops with disbelief.

"Where did'ya find dat, homme?"

Surprised, Cyclops responded, "it was found where Jean and Warren disappeared." He paused. "Know something we don't?"

"Yeah, but Remy ain't about to tell you, mon ami. Dere's no time. Right now, Jeannie is in serious danger."

"Get the most experienced members of each team. Meet me down in the Planning Room." 

            Not even five minutes later, Cyclops, Psylocke (who for some reason, insisted on coming along), Blink, Gambit, Wolverine, Storm, and Beast gathered in the Planning Room. In a flash of light, they were gone. 

***************************************************************

            Jean woke up to find herself still strapped to an operating table. She was attached to some type of machine. She had no idea how long she had been stuck here - time seemed unable to penetrate the walls of the laboratory. Around two days, she estimated. Her body was stiff and ached with numbness. Essex seemed a bit preoccupied – perhaps with someone else. ~At least he hadn't cut me open yet~ she thought dryly. Just then, she heard him enter the lab, closing the metal doors behind him. The sight of the man struck fear into her heart. 

            "Sorry I'm late, but your friend Warren Worthington was proving to be quite a handful. Shall we begin?"

"What have you done with Warren?"

"Warren Worthington is no longer of your concern."

"You know, my friends will be looking for me, and they will find me." It sounded weak to her own ears.

"Oh, I'm sure they will," he replied dispassionately. 

***************************************************************

            The X-men found themselves running through the subways as Gambit led them to Sinister's base. Scott found himself thinking of all the possible things that could've happened to Jean in three days ~Oh gosh, no. Please, not her~

            "Its here. De door." Gambit pointed to a wall of graffiti. Although he was confused, Scott shot at the exact spot that Remy had pointed at. To his surprise, a perfectly camouflaged door was blasted off its hinges. As they proceeded through the entrance, they were suddenly ambushed by the Nasty Boys. 

***************************************************************

Essex picked up a large surgical knife and traced a line with its razor-sharp edge from a spot several inches above her navel to a point several inches below it. 

"What are you going to do?" she asked, hoping to stall as long as possible.

"Ah, trying to delay the inevitable. Well, no matter. I'm merely going to extract samples of your DNA from some of your internal organs." He paused. "This may sting a bit, but you should be fine. The machine that you are attached to accelerates your healing."

            Jean was beyond terrified as she watched the blade advance towards her body. As Sinister prepared to make the incision, the metal doors were sliced in a X-pattern and kicked open, revealing Wolverine. He was past anger as he lunged at him with an animalistic roar. 

            Replacing the blade, Sinister turned to his foe as Wolverine slashed furiously at his body. He just smiled as it instantly regenerated itself. After several seconds, Logan couldn't believe what was happening. He should've made mincemeat out of this guy. Instead, he didn't even have a scratch.

            Two flaming cards embedded itself into his black armor before exploding, leaving a pair of gaping holes in his chest. A second later, they were gone. Gritting his teeth in frustration, Gambit emptied his deck into Essex's body, the lab trembling as it was rocked with numerous explosions. Breathing heavily, the Cajun started to admire his handiwork when the figure of Sinister stepped out of the dust and debris. 

"Pathetic. The future belongs to a new race of mutants, which I will build. You will not interfere with my greatest experiment ever!" Hands outstretched, he blasted both his attackers out of the room. 

Satisfied, Essex turned his attention once again to Jean and the task at hand. He was about to pick up his surgical blade when suddenly, the wall behind him exploded. Standing amidst the rubble was Cyclops, ruby-quartz glowing crimson as it became saturated by solar energy.

"Ah, Mr. Summers, how nice of you to join us," Sinister greeted.

"Leave. Her. _Alone!_"

"Do not interrupt, boy, when your betters are speaking." 

            Suddenly, an overwhelming wave of pain ripped through his head as images of his childhood flooded his mind. "You! I remember you! After the plane crash, I heard a voice calling – and I opened my eyes and blew off the hospital roof! Then you said, 'How wonderful, child. How deadly. But we can't allow that to happen again, can we?' When I woke up next, a year has passed. I thought I was in a coma. But it wasn't I coma, was it? It was you!" Clutching the sides of his head, he slumped to the floor.

"Finally you realize the truth. I've controlled your life ever since that day. Now be off - I've got more important things to attend to."

"Scott!" Jean cried as a sharp edge once again descended upon her. Turning around, Sinister was about to start his work when an optic blast caught him in the side, sending him sliding across the floor. The area where he had been hit, instead of repairing itself, was charred and smoking.

"Impossible!"

"Guess you aren't as tough as you thought," his voice quivered as he continued to shake off his migraine. He clumsily staggered to his feet, one hand to his visor. As Sinister tried to get up, another blast struck him in the leg, knocking him back down.

            "You destroyed my life, and that of my family's, with your evil," he paused as he tried to control his rage. "So, you like to play God, huh? Well, just stay away from my friends!" With as much power as he can muster, a huge beam of crimson cut through the air and hammered Sinister in the chest, smashing him through one of the walls, across the next room and through another. He disappeared in a cloud of rubble and dust.

"Scott?" Jean called out in a weak voice. Hearing it, he quickly made his way over to where she lay. "Jean, its alright. I'm here. Everything's going to be alright," he assured her, gently brushing a lock of scarlet hair away from her beautiful face. Blasting away her restraints, he wrapped his X-Factor jacket around her as she started shivering. Burying her head into his shoulder, Jean could never remember feeling so safe as he picked her up in his arms and held her close. They kept up the embrace for a long time. It was finally over.

"Oh Scott," she murmured, "I was so scared. I thought I'd never see you again." Being cradled in his arms was definitely a welcome change from being strapped to a rock hard table.

"You don't have much faith in me, do you?" he smiled. " 'No need for thanks. That's what we heroes do - rescue damsels in distress,' " he said, in his most manly, heroic voice. Saying that always annoyed her - something about being the weaker sex.

"Take me home, you egomaniac."

"Yes ma'am." Pleased that she caught the reference, he kissed her forehead before turning to leave.


	13. Chapter 13

NOTE: The Nasty Boys are Mr. Sinister's counterpart to X-Factor 

**_Chapter 13_**

            Every X-men was hurled backwards as they were struck by a sonic blast. "Ugghhh, I never thought heightened hearing can be so painful," remarked Wolverine. Scott knew what he meant. Even though his hearing wasn't as acute as Logan's, his head was pulsing madly. He found it hard to gain his balance as he got up.

            Standing in front of the X-men were four mutants. The one who attacked them had long pink hair and wore a garishly decorated outfit (Ruckus). Standing close by was a huge figure who looked like he'll give Colossus a run for his money in terms of strength. With his massive jaw and small eyes, he looked kind of deformed (Slab). The third member had a dog-like mutation giving him brown fur, large claws and sharp teeth (Hairbag). The last member had a purple, clay-like body that looked like it could stretch (Gorgeous George).

"Look what we got here," Hairbag snorted. 

"Perfect, I was itching to for a fight." Slab's jaw widened in a grin. The Nasty Boys rushed the X-men, who scattered in different directions as Ruckus let loose another audio blast from his vocal chords. 

~We don't have time for this~ Scott thought as he shot at Ruckus, who dodged. "Wolverine, Gambit, get going. We'll cover you," he shouted, choosing those two because of Logan's sense of smell and Gambits familiarity with the area. He popped over a pile of rubble he had been hiding behind and carpeted the area with red light to cover the two mutants.

            The now five members of X-men and X-Factor then paired off against the four opposing members of the Nasty Boys. Beast found himself duking it out with Hairbag, while Storm threw a bolt of lightning at Gorgeous George. Blink and Psylocke were occupied with Ruckus as Scott took on Slab.

            Cyclops watched in fascination as Slab's body increased in size, as did (he presumed) his strength. Towering over his opponent, the massive mutant charged. Scott rolled neatly away before firing an optic blast. The shaft of red stuck his chest, but only made Slab stumble backwards, barely fazing him.

"Is that the _best_ you've got?" the bigger mutant taunted as he stampeded towards him again, fist brought back for a bone-crunching punch.

            Betsy jumped out of the way as another blast of sound smashed into the place where she was standing microseconds before. She was almost as anxious as Scott to get to Jean and Angel. Something in her body just heated up at the thought of the handsome blond. Leaping straight at the wall, she kicked off of it gracefully, soaring high in the air before kicking Ruckus in the chest. As her opponent slid across the floor, she heard a loud roar as Slab once again rushed Cyclops. This time, her leader blasted a hole in the floor, causing his opponent to stumble. Seizing the opportunity, he blasted the dim-witted mutant at full power, the force of the attack picking up its target and slamming it through the concrete walls. Slab was buried under of heap rubble, though didn't matter anyhow: the force of the blast had knocked him out cold.

            Refocusing on Ruckus, she turned to see Blink running away as a huge wave of sound chased her. Clarice jumped into the air and instantly disappeared in a flash of yellow light just as the shockwave caught up to her. Using the momentum that she gained, she teleported behind her enemy and kicked Ruckus face first onto the floor. As he got up, Betsy charged her opponent and, sidestepping another sound blast, formed a purple psychic blade around her hand and drove it into his head. Ruckus screamed in pain as he blacked out. 

"Are you guys okay?" Scott ran up to Blink and Betsy. Seeing that they were, he continued, "I need to find Jean. Psylocke, you go search for Angel. If you get lost, contact one of us telepathically. Blink, stay here and help out Storm and Beast, would ya?" The three then split up, as they carried out their assigned tasks.

***************************************************************

            Psylocke found herself running around in a maze of hallways. Her feet made kept up a steady beat as her silver boots banged onto the white marble floor. She had been running around for five minutes now. She finally saw a door and kicked it open, hoping to find Angel inside. Empty. Finding another one, she kicked that one too. Nothing. Getting irritated, she resorted to destroying every single door in sight.

She was kicking down her twenty-something-th one when she thought she heard huge bang. It sounded distant, so she chose to ignore it as she kept up her search. 

//Psylocke, report\\

//Nothing yet Scott. I'll keep looking. What was that?\\ Betsy was curious at what caused the explosion. 

//Let's just say I found Jean. I'm getting her out\\ Sensing her emotions at his end of the telepathic link, Scott laughed. //Hey Bets, Jean was just wondering why don't you just mind scan the area instead of dicing everything up\\

            Psylocke could've smacked herself. Hands to her temples, she began resumed her search.

***************************************************************

            Beast, Storm and Blink easily finished the last of the Nasty Boys when Wolverine walked in, supporting a stumbling Gambit. A few feet behind them was Scott, carrying a sleeping Jean in his arms. For the first time since the Sentinel attack, Blink saw her field leader actually relax. ~So that's the girl he's had been crushing over~

"Where's Psylocke?" Beast asked. He seemed unaffected by his fight with Hairbag.

"Out looking for Warren. She's scanning the area telepathically right now," Scott replied. He was careful not to wake Jean. She was exhausted by this whole ordeal, but at least in one piece. He just hoped that Warren would be the same. It was then he noticed that Jean was still wearing that strange collar.

"Hey Wolverine, think you can use one of your claws and unscrew this collar?" he asked, gesturing to it with his head.

"Sure thing kid." With one adamentium claw extended, Logan easily removed the power inhibiter from her neck. As he did, Jean stirred in her sleep, purring a bit as she snuggled against Scott's shoulder. He couldn't believe how beautiful she was. 

"So, what shall we do with our attackers?" Storm inquired.

"Jus- Hey, where'd dey go?" Surprised by Gambits answer, everyone looked around, and noticed that the Nasty Boys were gone.

***************************************************************

            After several minutes of scanning, Psylocke finally detected Warren's mental signature about a hundred feet down the hall where she was standing. She covered the distance quickly and found herself standing in front of a pair of metal doors. Seeing that there was no way she could break in, she formed a psionic knife in her hand and slammed it into the electronic lock that controlled them. Sparks flew in every direction as the doors slowly opened.

She walked into the room that once housed Apocalypse's Four Horsemen. There were four operating tables, but the Horsemen were gone. Warren was nowhere to be found.

***************************************************************

            "Apocalypse," Sinister called in an emotionless tone. His body finally assumed its original shape as his regeneration factor kicked in. Scott Summers' final attack had almost destroyed him, the concussive force leaving behind nothing but his skeletal structure. It didn't help that his optic blasts tampered with the reconstruction of his mangled body. 

"What happened tinkerer? Are the Horsemen ready?"

"There has been a minor set back. The X-men located the lab, but I managed to transport your soldiers away before they got a hold of them. Needless to say, this incident will delay the completion of your soldiers," Essex calmly explained. It wasn't an outright lie – it was half true.

            The other mutant looked ready to kill him, but stopped himself. "Very well. See to it that they are finished soon," he said, exchanging his frown for a wicked grin.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14 

            Jean found herself walking in a dark alley. She shivered slightly and wrapped her arms around her slender physique as a cold breeze swept past. She continued walking, until someone appeared in front of her. The man was cloaked in darkness, but his glowing red eyes were clearly visible in the night. In his hand was a large, silver, butcher knife. "Oh, Jeannie," he sneered.

            Shrieking in alarm, she started running the other way. With a flick of his wrist, the walls came alive. She just ran faster. Suddenly, metal tentacles reached out and grabbed her, pinning her to the wall. Jean stared wide-eyed in shock as the man walked towards her. "Oh, Jean."

"Stay back!" Jean screamed, and tried to throw him back with her TK. It didn't work.

"Jean." the voice sounded louder as the man approached.

"Stay away from me!" she screeched, absolutely terrified. The man was standing in front of her now, and brought the knife above his head for the final strike.

"Jean!"

            She screamed as the man brought the blade down in a flash of silver.

"Jean, wake up!" Jean opened her eyes and saw Scott towering over her, hands on her shoulders. Standing behind him was a large crowd, with concerned looks on their faces. "You were having a nightmare again."

Her face was damp with sweat, yet she was shivering as she tried to regain her composure. "Hold me," she asked softly, barely audible to even Scott's ears. He wrapped his arms around her as she buried her face in his chest. Resting his chin on her head, he whispered, "Jean, it was just a dream. Everything's going to be fine. I won't let anything happen to you."

            It was the second night in a row. Ever since the rescue, Jean had been having nightmares. She wouldn't talk to anyone about it; in fact, she doesn't remember much of the experience herself, spending so much time drugged and unconscious. Maybe that's what scared her, she thought – the fear of the unknown. Hank said that there was absolutely nothing physically wrong with her, but that didn't stop Jean from being scared.

            Sensing that the two wanted to be alone, the adults ushered everyone else back to bed.  //Don't get too comfortable, Scott. You have a Danger Room session tomorrow morning\\ Prof. Xavier telepathically sent a message to the boy. Despite the fact that he couldn't see the Professor, Scott could sense his surrogate father chuckling to himself. Finally, the would-be couple found themselves alone, in each other's arms.

            Scott knew Jean didn't want to be left alone, obviously, but also knew that he wasn't allowed to stay in her room for the night. It was against Institute rules, and, as leader, he had an image to maintain. He sat holding Jean for several long minutes before he finally thought of a solution. 

"Say, let's go on a date," Scott began. Jean pulled back and stared at him with disbelieving eyes.

"I'm having a nervous breakdown and all you could think about is _dating_ me?" Her voice was bordering on anger.

"Jean, hear me out." He got off the bed and held out his hand. "Its not what you think."

Looking at his hand suspiciously before taking it with her own, Jean began in a warning tone, "I don't know what you're up to, Scott Summers, but if you try anything funny...."

"Trust me." Jean just arched her eyebrows, leaving Scott to draw his own conclusions. He led her out of her room, down the halls and into the kitchen, intertwining his fingers with hers. Pulling out a chair, he gestured for her to sit, which she did.

            Scott disappeared behind the refrigerator as he rummaged through the various items of food and drinks. After several long seconds of searching, he finally found what he was looking for. Closing the freezer, he picked up two spoons before walking over to the table where Jean was waiting. Her face lit up when she saw him sit down with a box of mint-chocolate-chip ice cream, her favorite. There wasn't a lot left, so they decided to eat straight out of the carton.

"Feeling better?" Scott asked as he stuffed a large spoonful of ice cream into his mouth. Jean just nodded as she licked her spoon.

Unsure of what to do, he decided to take the plunge. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, not looking at her, "your nightmares?" Swallowing another mouthful of ice cream, Jean set her spoon down on the table. "There's not much to talk about. I was drugged mostly, only coherent for short periods of time. Then you guys came...." she trailed off.

Realization dawned on him. ~That must be what's scaring her. She didn't know what happened~ He decided to discontinue with the topic - If she didn't know what happened, then there isn't anything to talk about. 

"What was Essex talking about, back then during the fight?" she asked, digging into the ice cream again.

Knowing that she'll want to know what went on during his conversation with Sinister back during the battle, Scott decided that she might as well find out about his past. If their relationship was going to get anywhere, she has got to know. He looked up to see Jean staring at him, spoon in her mouth.

"My father was flying us home when we ran into a storm. Lightning struck one of the wings before my father could fly above it. My parents gave Alex and I the only two parachutes and pushed us out of the plane. As we were falling, the plane exploded, and a piece of burning metal landed on my chute, lighting it on fire. The next thing I know, I woke up in a hospital and found out that I was the only one from my family who survived." He paused, collecting his thoughts. Jean remained silent. "The next time I opened my eyes, I blasted off the roof of the hospital. It was then I met Sinister, who put me in a coma for a year. I spent another in the orphanage under his control. He kept me there by dissuading all the people from adopting me. Finally, I ran away after another year and lived on the streets, blind. There, a guy named Jack picked me up." 

There was a long silence. "He beat me regularly and made me use my powers to steal and stuff. I ran away again. It was then that Xavier found me huddled in an alley, blind-fold covering my eyes and all. By then, I had spent two years of my life on the streets. He enlisted me as the first student at the Institute when I was twelve years old, four years after the crash. I spent another year with my eyes closed until some doctor designed these ruby-quartz glasses."

"Scott, I had no idea...." She couldn't even imagine what he had been through. Jean had enrolled into the Institute when they were both fourteen, so she had no idea prior to tonight of what his life was like before that. ~No wonder he always keeps to himself~ 

"Can you keep it a secret? You are the only one besides the Professor and my brother who knows much about my past," he chuckled. Jean just nodded, and after an awkward pause, decided to change the subject.

"Did you meet anyone in California? Get a girlfriend....?" she trailed off, half-afraid of the answer. Why was she even asking? Of course he did.

"No," he put bluntly. He wanted to leave the subject as it was, but she had other ideas.

"Why not? Handsome guy such as yourself," she asked, surprised, as they finished the last of the ice cream.

"I couldn't.... get over some crazy fantasy I've had ever since my fourteenth birthday," Scott said uneasily as he walked over to the sink. He suddenly felt two arms wrap around his waist as Jean hugged him tightly from behind.

****

"So, you want to go back to sleep?" Scott asked, yawning. "Its almost three."

"No, not really. You don't have to stay up with me if you don't want to."

"What kind of jerk would I be if I walk out in the middle of a date with a beautiful girl?" he replied, grinning.

Jean smiled back as she sat on a couch in front of one of the mansion's many 60" screen TVs. Turning it on, she found an early morning re-run of the movie "Legally Blond." She rested her head on his shoulder as Scott wrapped an arm around hers. They sat like that through the entire movie, watching Reese Witherspoon adjust to life at Harvard law school and trying to get her boyfriend back. By the time the court-scene began, it was past five in the morning. 

As the blond gave her Valedictorian speech during the dying sequences of the film, Scott looked down to see Jean staring up at him. 

The red-head found herself admiring his perfectly chiselled face. She idly wondered why she never attempted to pursue something other than friendship with him, choosing instead to court the more prominent figures in society, like football players. Despite this, after more than six years, his love and friendship was still here, hers to take. 

"Thank you," she spoke softly. Scott nodded his head faintly, although he didn't exactly know what she was talking about.

Somehow, Jean managed to find his eyes behind the wall of ruby-quartz. Her heart started to race as the butterflies in her stomach started to come alive. She leaned towards him, lips slightly parted. Scott, taking the hint, closed the distance between them, stopping only when his lips melted with hers. A wave of electricity shot through his entire body at the pleasant feel of her mouth.

Jean felt weak and exhilarated as the two tasted each other, lips closing and parting at the same time. They kissed with the familiarity of old lovers, yet with the fervour and intensity of a new relationship. Jean's hands found their way to the back of Scott's head, playing with his brunette strands with her fingers. Scott trembled a bit with anxiousness as he deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue into her mouth. Jean kissed him back with passion, and it continued for a long time, neither wanting it to end. Thoughts, memories and emotions started to blaze through their minds as their psychic link came alive, to the point that neither could tell which thought or feeling belonged to whom. Finally, they reluctantly pulled apart, foreheads still pressed together and noses nuzzling against the other to maintain body contact.  

"So," Scott began, breathing deeply.

"_So_," Jean repeated, smiling. She fondly caressed his cheek with her hand. He grasped it and lightly brushed the tips of her knuckles with his lips. "Not bad for a first date, huh?"

"Mmmm-hmmm," Jean responded contentedly. Suddenly overcome with fatigue, she leaned in and rested her head on a comfortable spot on his shoulder. Scott sat back and tenderly stroked her fiery hair as Jean slowly drifted off to sleep, the smell and proximity of him keeping her nightmares away for the first time in days.

A few hours later, as the rest of the mansion started to awaken, the Professor found them curled comfortably together on the couch with the television still on. He considered waking them up for their Danger Room session before dropping the idea and leaving them to their peaceful slumber.   


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15 

****

****There was a loud explosion as the unit holding a shadowy figure burst apart, spilling green liquid and pieces of glass onto the floor. A bulky figure stepped out of the ruins, his metal boots grinding glass into a fine powder as he made his way across the room. Strapping on medieval-like armour, the Horsemen War sheathed two shining swords behind his back before picking up a massive mace. Gripping its handle tightly, he swung it once in the air, testing its feel. Satisfied, he was about to step out of the room when he was stopped by the presence of Mr. Sinister.

"Ah, excellent, you are finally awake." The other mutant just stared at him with dark eyes. "While we wait for your comrades to do the same, perhaps I can put you to some use." With that, both of them vanished in the darkness.

***************************************************************

"Scott, I have a bad feeling about this," Jubilee whispered to her leader.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Everyone, stay alert," Cyclops ordered, in leader mode. He was leading the rest of the X-Factor through the wrecked remains of Essex's laboratory, in hopes of discovering some clues that may lead to the whereabouts of Warren. Seeing that the X-men could use a break, the Professor decided to send Scott and his team in instead. They've been searching for almost an hour now, and everything seems far too quiet. Despite the fact that they would be able to cover more ground if the team split up, Cyclops had been adamant that everyone stuck together, for the risk of another ambush by the Nasty Boys, or worse.

            The whole compound was pitch black. Jubes was the only reason they were able to see at all, lighting their way with her powers. As an added precaution, they had Psylocke continually probing the area telepathically to alert them of a possible ambush. Scott and Alex took point, being the heavy-hitters of the team. Suddenly, a soft noise somewhere behind them alerted Cyclops to the presence of danger. He stopped dead in his tracks, but the noise was gone. Everyone else froze as well.

//What is it?\\ Betsy asked him telepathically.

//We aren't alone - someone's following us. Quick, scan the area\\ Psylocke's hands flew to her temples and her eyes clenched shut. She searched the area for any type of mental reading, but nothing turned up....wait! There - it was faint, but very close. Something seems to be suppressing it....

//Scott, you're right. I picked up something, but its unlike anything I felt before. Jubes, shut the lights, and on my mark, shoot behind us\\ the Asian broadcasted. The rest of the team remained calm; Scott had trained them for this. X-Factor was ready for any contingency.

            However, their stalker had picked up on their mental dialogue, and began to silently move towards its prey. Sensing this, Betsy frantically telepathed Jubilee. //_Now!_\\

            Instantly, the whole hallway lit up as a beam of white light streaked through the air. Everyone turned around, and if they still couldn't see their enemy, they definitely heard him. War's footsteps sounded like thunder as it shattered the silence of the dark corridors. Blink ported Psylocke and Alex away in a disk of gold energy just before a huge mace lodged itself on the ground where they were standing moments before. As he tried to retrieve his weapon, an optic blast ripped through the air and shredded the spiked metal ball from its chain. "Who are you?"

"Apocalypse, the Dread Lord, has ordered the destruction of the X-men, and I fully intend to carry out his wishes!" Throwing away the smoking handle, a pair of massive hands found their way his back and drew out two shining swords. Jumping at his enemies, the Horsemen landed right in between Cyclops and Jubilee as both leapt away in opposite directions. However, they were stopped when they ran into the walls of the narrow hallway, and found themselves still within sword's reach of their opponent.

            Taking aim, Scott blasted an adamentium blade out of War's hands, but because of his lack of peripheral vision due to his visor, he didn't see the second blade until it was too late. As it cut through the air towards his head, his reflexes kicked in, and he threw his head backwards to get out of the way. The blade missed him, but cut his combat visor cleanly in half. As ruby-quartz fell to the floor, a huge river of crimson energy was discharged from his eyes, blowing a huge, expanding hole into the ceiling before Scott clenched them shut. Hearing the sword slice through the air again, the blind mutant tried his best to roll away, but felt the metal dig deep into his shoulder. Crying out in pain, he opened one eye and blasted his assailant into the opposite wall before a larger beam of orange speared the Horsemen and sent him straight down the corridor and into the darkness, where he mysteriously disappeared.

            Slowly, Scott got up to his feet. His shoulder felt warm despite the sting; touching it, he felt blood. Deciding that now was a good time to get out, the five mutants disappeared in a flash of light. The walls briefly lit up, before returning to darkness, leaving the halls devoid of life once again.

***************************************************************

            Slipping on her fuzzy robe and bunny slippers, Jean Grey left her room in the very early hours of the morning after spending much of the night tossing and turning. She found herself thinking about Scott, and wondered why she didn't see him yesterday. Lately, he was all Jean could think about, ever since their first 'date' two days ago. It was so magical, and the kiss was so perfect. There was really no other way to describe it. When she woke up, he was gone. Ororo said that he had taken a team out on a mission to find Warren, but that didn't stop Jean from having her doubts.

            At once, she sensed the telepathic presence of the X-Factor as Blink teleported them into the mansion. Sensing their emotions, she began to get worried. //Betsy, what happened? Did you guys find Warren?\\

//No. We were jumped by this guy and he got Scott before we drove him off. We're heading to the infirmary now\\

            Instantly, her stomach dropped thirty stories as she made her way to the infirmary as fast as she could. She got there just in time to see Havoc and Jubilee carrying Cyclops under the arms and slowly walking him through the doors.

"Oh Scott, are you alright?" she asked as she telekinetically lifted him and set down on the hospital bed. "Yeah, I'm fine, just a little scratch," he responded, giving her a small smile. Jean started rummaging through the medical supplies. "Where's your visor?" At her question, Blink teleported away.

"Destroyed," Alex showed her the pieces of the broken headpiece. "Hold still," Jean commanded as she started cleaning the gash. Blink reappeared just as she started bandaging the wound, placing a pair of ruby-quartz sunglasses on the bridge of his nose.

"Thanks, Clarice. Hey guys, do me a favour and brief the Prof on what happened?" Nodding, the others turned and left, leaving Scott and Jean alone.

"That's a nasty cut you've got there, Slim. Could've been a lot worse though," Jean commented as she finished wrapping up his arms.

"Yeah, I know. Thanks for the help." Getting up, Scott grabbed her hand and pulled her to him, covering her lips with his. //I'm sorry I couldn't see you yesterday, but at least now you know where I was. You didn't miss me, did you?\\ he sent her, unwilling to break the kiss. He guided her back a step so that they were leaning against the counter, his body pressed gently onto hers. 

//Maybe a little\\ Draping her arms around his neck, she kissed him back amorously, doubts and worries gone. She moaned as he tenderly slid his tongue into her mouth. //Okay, maybe a lot\\ They maintained the embrace for a long time before Scott pulled back. Their foreheads were still touching, much like it was after their first kiss. "Can I call you mine, or do I have to earn that privilege?"

"Only if you'll be mine," she breathed, her perfect lips grazing against his teasingly. "Always, Red." He chased her as she pulled away.

Scott stared after Jean as she walked out of the room. "Careful Cyke, or you might lose your uptight, stiff, demanding, anal retentive reputation that you worked so hard to perfect for years. People might start to think that you actually know how to relax and enjoy yourself," she laughed. In a flash of red hair she was gone, leaving Scott alone in the infirmary, grinning to himself.

***************************************************************

"My Dread Lord, the first of your Horsemen have been completed as you commanded." Beside him, the War stepped out of the shadows, clad fully in combat gear. "His name is Abraham Kieros, a veteran of the Vietnam war. As such, I found it appropriate to outfit him as the Horsemen War. Along with his ability to generate concussive blasts and explosions, his physical traits such as speed and strength have been enhanced in accordance to your wishes," he continued. 

Apocalypse studied his first foot soldier keenly. True to his word, Essex had delivered a worthy servant to his cause. "He already has made an appearance to those who have delayed the project, and, needless to say, created a worthy impression on your enemies." With that, a sword was presented, its metal tip dripping with Scott Summers' blood. 


	16. Chapter 16

Under Construction...Come back later

Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah

Sorry, must include some words...

:) 


	17. Chapter 17

Under Construction...Come back later

Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah

Sorry, must include some words...

:) 


	18. Chapter 18

Under Construction...Come back later

Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah

Sorry, must include some words...

:) 


	19. Chapter 19

Under Construction...Come back later

Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah

Sorry, must include some words...

:) 


	20. Chapter 20

Summary: One year after Dark Horizons, the X-men face a trial by fire with the emergence of new foes and vengeance of old enemies.

Chapter Rating: PG 13

Chapter Pairings: Scott/Jean, Alex/Polaris

Guest Characters in chapter: Lorna Dane, aka Polaris

****

**_Chapter 20_**

The day had finally come. All good things had to end sometime, even if temporarily. 

Every resident at the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters was standing outside at the mansion's circular driveway, bidding farewell to Cyclops and his X-Factor. Scott exchanged goodbyes with every individual person until he finally made it to Jean. 

"I have to go now," Scott spoke softly beside her ear as he enveloped her in his arms. He hugged her tighter before he continued, "I'm sorry, but I have to go back now." His voice was almost cracking.

            All the X-Factor members were waiting for him. It had never been this hard to leave her before. Despite his feelings towards Jean, Scott just couldn't abandon X-Factor. They were as valuable to him as the X-men were. Besides, he reconsidered Stanford (upon the urging of both Professor Xavier and John Grey) and decided to take schooling there for a while, with a graduate assistantship no less.

"I know. Take care of yourself and remember to keep contact, okay?" Jean reminded him. Her beautiful green eyes were brimming with tears. Scott's would be too if his force beams didn't destroy them.

"I will." Kissing her hair, he released her reluctantly. They held hands for as long as possible, desperate to maintain some contact, until he finally let go as he stepped through Blink's golden portal. In a flash of light, they were gone. The last thing Jean saw was Scott's face as he turned back to look at her, visor dim with sorrow.

***************************************************************

Warren's containment unit burst into billions of pieces as twin adamentium wings lashed out sideways. Testing its feel, he retracted the wings to its normal position before stepping out of the glass tube he was standing in.

            Externally, the former X-man didn't look like the Angel his friends knew at all. The only thing that remained the same was his neat blonde hair. His skin was washed over in a shiny blue, and he wore metallic turquoise body armour. His hands and feet were covered in silver gloves and boots. Unlike the other Horsemen who looked inhuman and unsightly, Sinister's Angel of Death is embodied with a look of lethality and intensity. After working on him for nearly three months, Essex regarded his latest creation to be a masterpiece.

"My dread lord, your last and most powerful Horsemen is ready," he informed Apocalypse.

"Let me see him." At his command, Death stepped into view. Apocalypse carefully examined the prized and much anticipated for soldier. The razor edges of his shimmering adamentium wings glistened in the dim light. 

"As you can see, my lord, your fourth horsemen will have no need for the machines I created to assist him in flight." Sinister was referring to the mechanical 'horses' designed to give the other three the ability to fly. 

"His wings are of a complex design, far more sophisticated than his organic ones, and are made of adamentium, the strongest metal yet discovered. Although the wings can be used as a weapon themselves, I added regenerating feathers that are able to shoot out of his wings and paralyse his prey on the spot. To increase his lethality," he explained.  

"Impressive, Tinkerer. For once, you have met my expectations."

"The Horsemen Death was created from the mutant known as Warren Kenneth Worthington III, who served as the leader of the X-men prior to his capture. As such, it is natural that he should lead your soldiers into battle. He is certainly worthy for the part."

"Very well. It's time to test your creations, Essex. Assemble the Horsemen and ready them for battle."

***************************************************************

Jean was working on her half-finished science lab when she was paged. Noticing who it was, she immediately opened up her messenger account and double-clicked on Scott's name.

****

**_cyke71_**_: Hey Red, what's up? _

**_jeangrey_**_: Nothing much. School's a bitch though._

**_cyke71_**_: (Dramatic gasp) Miss Perfect used the word 'bitch' in a sentence?_

**_jeangrey_**_: har har Mr Summers. Like you never swear. _

**_cyke71_**_: I told you, that was Logan. Or his influence anyway_

**_jeangrey_**_: Right. You coming back for Christmas?_

**_cyke71_**_: Of course. Betsy's flying back to Europe, Jubes back home and Alex Hawaii. Clarice and I will blink over_

**_cyke71_**_: You didn't miss me, did you?_

**_jeangrey_**_: More than you'll ever know, lover boy. We're gonna have so much fun_

**_cyke71_**_: I thought you were going back home?_

**_jeangrey_**_: No, I've decided I would rather stay this year. Everyone's going away, even Rogue who's going to spend the holidays with Kurt. Don't try to stop me, because I want to spend some time alone with my boyfriend._

**_cyke71_**_: I love you too. Look, I've got to beat it now, but we'll talk later, k Red?_

**_jeangrey_**_: k :-(_

**_cyke71_**_: lol. Don't work yourself too hard. You don't have to be perfect all the time, but you'll always be perfect for me_

**_jeangrey_**_: you're a flirt_

**_cyke71_**_: Whatever works, gorgeous_

            Scott signed off as he turned his attention back to the lecture. ~Damn time zone difference~ he thought. It is now November, and he missed her badly.

            Several students had asked him about his glasses and why he always has to wear them. By mutual consent, both Scott and Professor Xavier decided it would be best if his peers didn't learn of his mutant ability at the moment. Thus, the Professor formulated a bunch of fake medical records that indicated Scott's eyes were extremely sensitive to light. This was enough to satisfy his teachers, but did nothing to prevent his fellow peers from asking questions. He was tired of explaining the same thing repeatedly for every new person he met, which numbered in the twenties everyday. 

            The lecture ended, and Scott filed himself out of the room with his laptop. Unlike the others, he didn't live in the dormitories, instead opting to have Clarice take him home after school. ~Now, for my favorite time of the day....~ he thought as he walked through the halls.

~....the Danger Room~ 

            Which reminded him; he still needed to test out the mutant abilities of their latest 'victim' to be captured. He smiled as he recalled the incident from which she was 'kidnapped.'

**_*Flash_**_*_

_"I know the pain you are going through, Lorna. I once had it myself. Let me help you."_

_"Get away from me you creep!" The green haired girl flung a metal pole at Magneto's head. He stopped it easily with his own power over magnetism._

_"This could've been easy. Regrettably, you chose to make it hard." With a simple wave of his hand, Magneto picks up a garbage can, compresses it into a metal sheet, and wraps it around her._

_"No! Please, why don't you leave me alone!" the girl cried. Magneto was turning around when he noticed something barrelling towards him in the distance._

_"Arrghhhh!" Magneto screamed when a beam of orange struck him backwards into a truck._

_"You heard her. Hands_Off_The_Lady!" Alex proclaimed. He fired another blast, which Magneto blocked by manipulating the truck and using it as a shield. Suddenly, a huge lion of fire came charging at X-Factor, causing them to scatter. "Lookie here. We've got X-men!" Pyro's aussie voice laughed as he prepared another attack._

_"Blink, get to the girl now! Everyone else, cover," Cyclops ordered as he let loose an optic blast at a charging Colossus. A battle of wills ensued, as the metallic mutant was stopped in his tracks, yet wasn't pushed backwards either. Cyclops continued to pour on the power._

_Psylocke jumped elegantly away from a river of flames that came crashing down on her position as Havoc extended a hand and blasted Pyro into unconsciousness. However, he felt a slight breeze before being knocked off his feet. ~Damn Quicksilver~ he thought, as he chased the speedy mutant with orange blasts._

_Betsy decided to help Cyke as she landed behind Colossus and impaled him with a mental knife. The large mutant instantly collapsed and was thrown backwards as he was too weak to defend against the crimson assault. Satisfied, Scott turned to see Sabertooth giving Jubilee a hard time, so he floored the hairy mutant at max power. The powerful attack picked its target off its feet and slammed him into a building, burying Sabertooth in rubble._

_"Cyke, I can't get her out of this!" Clarice exclaimed as Magneto recovered. Thinking fast, he called out, "Alex, blast the girl free," knowing that his brother had a LOT more control over his powers than he did. Pietro, seeing this as his opportunity to attack, sped towards the blonde mutant, but Jubilee saw this coming and blasted him before he could land an attack. _

_            Now that he was clear, Alex shot a focused beam, not even an inch in diameter, along the side of the metal sheet that trapped the green-haired girl. The metal melted away and split in half. However, every single member of X-Factor was then thrown off their feet by a magnetic shove. "Fools! You think you can defeat me?"_

_"Yeah," Scott responded and shot a beam directly at Clarice. Magneto was convinced the kid finally lost it, until a golden disk opened up, consuming the crimson streak. Almost simultaneously, another opened up behind him, and the optic blast traveled through the portals and slammed him from behind. Seeing this as their chance to escape, X-Factor and the girl disappeared in a flash of light.  _

**_*End Flash_**_*_

~Alex was more than a bit tongue-tied when we brought her back home~ he chuckled. ~Looks like he won't be going back to Hawaii any time soon.~ 

***************************************************************

**_jeangrey_**_: So, tell me about the new girl you picked up_

**_cyke71_**_: Not much really, except she's 17, about your height, maybe an inch taller, has green hair and magneto's powers. Actually pretty good looking, and seems to hang around me a lot_

**_jeangrey_**_: ????_

**_cyke71_**_: Ah, you're jealous! rotflmao_

**_jeangrey_**_: Am not! (pouts) Should I be? _

**_cyke71_**_: Of course not, Gorgeous. She hangs around me because she wants to learn more about Alex, but is too shy to ask him. Alex is equally tongue-tied._

**_cyke71_**_: Someone should get them really drunk and lock them in a closet or something._

**_jeangrey_**_: Scott, that's gross. Lol_

**_cyke71_**_: so, tell me about what's going on in the mansion. The stooges still causing trouble?_

**_jeangrey_**_: Whops, gotta go. Professor just paged us. Something's up._

**_cyke71_**_: Is it serious? You want X-Factor to come along?_

**_jeangrey_**_: No, it should be fine. We'll be able to handle it_

**_cyke71_**_: At least tell me where it is._

**_jeangrey_**_: Niagara falls, border between Canada and the U.S._

**_cyke71_**_: Be careful_

            As Scott signed off, he suddenly had a bad feeling about this. Always one to trust his instincts, he forgot about the paper he was working on and assembled X-Factor. Time to go to the Falls.


	21. Chapter 21

A/N: "I am become death, shatterer (or destroyer) of worlds," was taken from J. Robert Oppenheimer upon witnessing the first detonation of the atomic bomb. Furthermore, most of these quotes are based on the comics, cartoon or "the Pale Horse," written by the wonderful author Julia456, as I'm not familiar with the Four Horsemen at all. 

            Of another note is that if any of you have been to Niagara falls, it's main business is tourism. It might help you to understand the story better if you've actually been there. It's sort of a river framed with huge cliffs on either side, in which people walk on. The northern side is Canadian and the southern U.S. That's about the best way I can explain it right now.

            Most of the story is complete anyway – just need to proof-read and revise it. I'm trying to get it done before _school_ starts on Tuesday. _School!_

Summary: One year after Dark Horizons, the X-men face a trial by fire with the emergence of new foes and vengeance of old enemies.

Rating for this Chapter - PG 13

Pairings - Scott/Jean

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**_Chapter 21_**

            Wolverine, Storm, Jean Grey, Nightcrawler, Shadowcat, Rogue and Gambit stepped out of the Velocity as it landed on the American side of the Niagara Falls. The Professor had sent them on a mission to investigate strange mutant readings that were emanating from the area, at least two, possibly as much as four. 

"It's so beautiful," Jean mused as she stared at the sight before her. Large torrents of crystal clear water cascaded down the horseshoe-shaped cataract with fright-train like vigour  

            The team was walking towards the falls when people started screaming and stampeding away from an area in front of them. Running as fast as they could, they found the body of an emaciated woman lying on the floor. Nothing but skin and bones. Checking her for her vitals, they confirmed that she was dead. Looking around, the X-men caught sight of the remains of more people, some similarly emaciated, some bleeding on the ground, and others who looked like they were taken by some disease.

            Suddenly, a concussive blast struck Rogue in the back and sent her flying through the railing and over the cliffs of the falls. "Rogue!" Jean automatically rushed over to the side and caught her telekinetically. As she hoisted her back up, the others formed a protective circle around her, to defend against their unknown attackers.

            On a precipice not far from where they were standing, three figures emerged from the darkness that shrouded them and revealed themselves. Two women and one man – actually two females and one male, because the X-men weren't quite certain they were human. All three seemed to mounted on some kind of horse. "Alright, bub, just who do you jokers think you are?" Wolverine demanded with an animalistic growl.

"We are the first foot soldiers worthy to usher in the reign of En Sabah Nur. We are the Four Horsemen of Apocalypse," they replied in perfect unison.

"War," the giant male mutant introduced himself as his mechanical horse neighed. 

"Plague." This came from the one with sick, green skin.

"Famine," introduced the skeletal women. Her horse bucked under her. 

"Death." A new voice echoed in the night as the X-men turned around and looked up to see Warren Worthington III, now the Archangel of Death, descending upon them. His blond hair seemed to glow gold in the darkness, complementing perfectly his royal blue skin. The metallic wings were unbelievably graceful, and were so refined that they reflected everything like a mirror. Although he wasn't as physically imposing as War, he looked definitely more dangerous.

"Warren? Warren, is that you?" Kitty asked.  

"Warren Kenneth Worthington III no longer exists. I am now the Fourth and proud Horsemen of En Sabah Nur, the Alpha and the Omega. Death incarnate! Winged messenger to the Dread Lord. Our orders are to eliminate those who call themselves the X-men, especially the being known as Jean Elizabeth Grey." He pointed a gloved finger at the telepath. Apparently, Apocalypse was still worried about her phoenix powers.

"Well, Angel, that is _not_ going to happen!" An optic blast struck the horsemen from the side, sending him skidding along the ground until he righted himself with his wings.

"Resist and be obliterated! Those who defy Apocalypse shall swift be visited by the wings of Death!" X-Factor stepped out of Blink's golden portal as Warren took to the sky.

"Oh Scott! You came!" Jean ran up to Cyclops, jumping into his arms. They haven't seen each other since he left the Institute, and was secretly glad that he decided to bring X-Factor along to help out despite her recommendation not to. These Horsemen looked like they could be a handful.

Taking aim, Havoc and Gambit shot at the other three Horsemen, while Cyclops fired (and missed) at Death. War, Famine and Plague galloped through the dust and smoke and charged towards their enemies. 

"Everyone, split!" Scott ordered as he ran away from the falls with Jean and Betsy in tow. Death flew after them. Their team split into four groups of three before diverging from each other in an attempt to draw out their opponents. Jean turned around as she was running to see Storm taking to the air and sending a bolt of lightning towards Famine.

"Resistance is futile! Surrender yourself and I will honor your bravery with instant demise," Angel called out to them. Elegantly dodging another optic blast, he dove towards his prey, only to have them dodge and roll away. Archangel was unbelievably graceful in the sky as he flipped, rolled and dove away to avoid well-aimed force beams, seemingly defying gravity. 

"For in the sleep of death, what dreams may come!"

"Warren, we just want to help you!" Betsy exclaimed.

"I am become Death, shatterer of worlds. There is nothing you can do." He was about to dive for another attack when an optic blast lanced through the air. Using his adamentium wings as a shield, he blocked it.

"Pathetic! You are nothing!"

"Warren, I'm not using full power on you! Don't make me!"  Scott sent another blast at him, which he flew around, but it forced him to abandon his aerial assault.

"Pitiful mortal! You deserve to die!"

            There was a large explosion as War charged through a wall and raced towards them. Jean saw this and telekinetically pushed him off his horse before flinging the metal creature into a lamp post. A beam of red instantly engulfed the horse. When Cyclops' onslaught relented, all that was left of War's ride was a smoking hole.

"Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum!" he shouted as he unbuckled his mace.

//What is he talking about?\\ Scott asked.

//No idea\\ Jean responded. However, Betsy took Latin and knew exactly what he said.

//'Therefore, whoever wishes for peace, let him prepare for war'\\

"Too much mental chatter," War interrupted as Death hovered in front of him. He pointed a hand at Jean. "Let the destruction of War erase your worthless soul from existence."

"Hey, you and I have a score to settle!" Cyclops hollered. The other mutant smiled before sending a hand blast at his foe. As the beam zoomed towards Cyclops, an optic blast met it halfway. There was a loud explosion as white collided with red in a battleground of plasma energy, culminating in the destruction of anything in between. A shockwave rippled through the area, cracking the cement under their feet. 

            The whole region was flooded with a flickering pink light in a classic battle between good and evil. Neither Cyclops nor War could do anything but continue to discharge their power. The spinning white and crimson ball in between them expanded in size as each increased their output, vaporizing anything that it encompassed. 

***

            Death turned his attention to Jean and Betsy. With an exaggerated flap of his wings, a barrage of paralysing feathers zipped towards the two mutants before they were telekinetically stopped in mid-air.

"Psylocke, this isn't working! He can't hear to us!" Jean stated as she telekinetically slammed Warren into the ground.

//Maybe we should concentrate our telepathy and wrench his mind free from Apocalypse's control?\\ Betsy sent as she dodged another salvo of darts.

//We can try. It worked with Scott before\\ Hands to their temples, both telepaths concentrated hard on their assailant and friend.

            Warren's body instantly sagged as he dropped out of the sky in mental pain. He didn't notice it when his body crashed into the concrete sidewalk, adamentium wings cracking the cement into tiny pieces. Images started flooding his head: _the first time he kissed Jean.... the first time he met Betsy.... Betsy being emaciated by Famine.... Scott and Jean cut down by War.... X-men being picked off by Sentinels.... Apocalypse ruling the world...._

"No, this can't be!" he screamed in agony as in his mind, one by one, his friends were killed before his mental eyes. Slowly, he began to wrench free from the telepathic grip that Apocalypse had put into place and darkness that Sinister had burned into his skull. However, the darkness had to be channelled somewhere, so Jean and Psylocke focused their powers into dispelling it harmlessly into the astral plane as Jean and the Professor had once done with Scott.

After a while, Jean's body slumped to the floor in exhaustion. Around her, the battle was still raging on. "You think you're a match for me, boy? You are nothing in the eyes of Apocalyspe!" War shouted.

"You want to know what you are in _my_ eyes?" Cyclops came back. Resorting to uncontrollable power, he ripped off his visor, bringing to bear the full force of his optic blasts. Scott was almost thrown off his feet as a huge wave of crimson erupted from his eyes. Instantly, the whole area was washed over in ruby light, turning night into day as the optic blast barrelled through War's blast, splitting it in half as it continued to streak towards its hapless target uninhibited. 

            All other fighting ceased as everyone stopped to watch the intense light show that was taking place. When the optic blast finally connected with is target, the results were spectacular. His blast literally tore War's body apart as it failed to sustain the explosive power of ten tons' worth of dynamite. First flesh melted away from bone, then the bones dissolved into dust as it was unable to withstand the crimson strain. There was absolutely nothing left but a huge crater where seconds before the mighty Horsemen War was standing.

            However, Scott fell to his knees, completely spent, as his devastating attack drained him of all energy. He started pawing the ground looking for his visor, eyes clenched shut. Plague, seeing the opportunity, hustled her horse and rushed in to kill him while he's vulnerable.

            "Scott! Get out of the way!" Fighting her fatigue, Jean used every ounce of strength left in her body to wrench Plague off her horse as the rider swiftly closed the distance to the most important person in her life. 

            In an instant, Plague felt herself slammed backwards by an invisible hand, tearing her from her ride. The metallic beast, however, continued to bear down on Cyclops full speed, intent on trampling him to death with its sharp hooves. With a grunt, Jean managed to just steer it off course before a flash of silver cut it in half. As its remains fell to the floor, it exploded in a shower of sparks.

            Hovering not far from Cyclops was a revived Warren Worthington III. Retrieving his visor, Scott weakly got up to his feet. Looking around, Storm and Jubilee were lying on the ground, both having been knocked unconscious as they fought War. Alex was holding his arm as if it was broken. Jean and Psylocke looked ready to collapse any second; for that matter, so was he. Numerous other mutants suffered injuries, some which will require major medical treatment. The only ones left in any fighting condition were Archangel, Wolverine (for the obvious reasons), Clarice and Nightcrawler.

            Plague and Famine poised themselves for attack (Famine's horse was damaged by lightning before being cut down by Wolverine).  Suddenly, both made a mad dash for his fallen teammates.

"No! Stay away from them!" Alex sent a burst of plasma energy at the two, which missed. Instead, it hit a large fuel truck nearby, causing it to ignite and explode viciously. Caught in the blast, the last thing Scott remembered was Jean diving in front of him and erecting a TK shield before he blacked out. 


	22. Chapter 22

Under Construction...Come back later

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	23. Chapter 23

Under Construction...Come back later

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	24. Chapter 24

Under Construction...Come back later

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	25. Chapter 25

Under Construction...Come back later

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	26. Chapter 26

Under Construction...Come back later

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Sorry, must include some words...

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	27. Chapter 27: Epilogue

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well, here's the end. To all my readers that made it this far, I congratulate you. Remember to review!

            Oh yeah, one more thing. When Scott proposed in the previous chapter, they were 21 and had known each other for seven years. Now, they are twenty four ('canon' X-men age approx) and have known each other for ten years. Hope this clears things up a bit.  

Summary: Post-Dark Horizons. Scott and Jean face a trial by fire as new enemies emerge and face new challenges to their relationship. 

Rating for this Chapter - PG 13 

Pairings - Scott/Jean

****

**_Epilogue_**

            Gentle ocean waves crashed on the sand as Jean and Scott sat on the beach, admiring the night sky. It was much clearer here than back in New York. Even with their unaided eyesight, the skies literally came alive with trillions of sparkling gems, shooting stars and a perfect moon. Of course, nothing was more beautiful to Scott than the woman sitting on his lap at the moment. With her face free of make-up, eyes reflecting the starry night and her hair swaying with the ocean breeze, she was the absolute epitome of Mother Nature's beauty.

            Burying his face in her scarlet hair, he found himself thinking of the recent past. Ten years after they first met, Scott finally married Jean Grey in the gardens of the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters. It was actually rather convenient. Most people pay to get married in a mansion of classic Victorian design, sophisticated landscaping and gardens of bushes, shrubs and small trees trimmed in elegant shapes and mazes. Of course, they didn't - Charles Xavier saw to it himself that the wedding of his first two students would be _the_ social event of the decade.

            It was perfect - to the point that even Elaine Grey could find very little to complain about. As Scott stood there waiting for his fiancé to appear, he found himself looking at the two hundred or so assembled guests. Everyone was present, even the Brotherhood. Scott found himself staring at members of the Grey clan. It meant a lot to him to be accepted as part of their family. Sadly, Alex was the only person present other than himself that was still alive from his. But it didn't matter: he found a new family - the X-men, which were fully represented. They even managed to get Logan in a tux....

When Jean swept down the aisle, his breath and logic deserted him. If she was magnificent before (and she was), she was beautiful beyond words during the wedding. They married each other that day in the summer sun. Neither could remember ever being so happy.

            That was a week ago, and now, the two were on their honeymoon, given a pardon from the X-men, the fighting, the discrimination, the stress and, generally, the world. The couple had already explored all the riches Europe had to offer, from Paris to Rome and everything in between. 

            A loving kiss brought Scott out of his thoughts. Jean had turned around to face him and her hand found its' way to the back of his head, deepening the embrace. //Hon, is everything okay?\\

//Everything's better than okay\\ he responded, not breaking the kiss. //I love you Jean\\ 

//I love you too\\ 

            Pushing him so that he was lying flat on his back, Jean continued to gently massage his lips until exhaustion finally took over her. They had spent the day swimming in the beautiful Mediterranean ocean, exchanging passionate kisses, riding bikes and enjoying the fine foods of the local area. Reluctantly, she pried her lips away from his and pillowed her head on Scott's powerful chest.

"Jean, honey, you're not falling asleep are you?" he asked her gently. He ran his fingers through her hair and revelled in how soft it felt.

"Mmmm-hmmm," she mumbled sleepily, eyes closed.

"We still have to walk a mile back to the lodge," he pointed out. 

"Okay," she responded, not really listening to what he was saying because at that point, Jean fell fast asleep. Brushing her hair away from her face, Scott found himself wondering again how on earth did such a gorgeous woman fall in love with a guy like him. ~Not that I'm complaining~ he thought as he kissed the top of her head softly.

"Vixen," he laughed as Jean muttered something incomprehensible and nuzzled against his chest. 

Wrapping the redhead in the blanket they were sitting on before picking her up tenderly in his arms, Scott started the mile walk back to the lodge. It was times like these that reminded him of how much Jean really meant to him. She was everything: from the air he breathed to the glue that held together his sanity. Stepping into the cozy bungalow Xavier had acquired for them, he tucked his wife into bed before quietly spooning up behind her, dreams of living blissfully ever after prominent on his mind. 


End file.
